During a recent tour of the south island of NZ, we were fortunate to spend a couple of nights at a traditional ‘bach’ in local surfing town Punakaiki situated on the west coast. The area occupying a narrow strip of land between the Tasman Sea and the southern alps, has the highest rainfall in New Zealand. It also has some of the best examples of untouched rainforest. The region is largely untouched and best of all, seals and dolphins are regularly seen in the waters!

A bach is a small, often very modest holiday home or beach house in New Zealand. Baches have been an iconic part of the country's history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolised the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the middle class.

The Woodpecker Bay Bach sat in a prime location on grand rocks overlooking the water. It was the perfect opportunity to switch off and immerse ourselves in nature. Whilst there was wifi, we chose to enjoy a good book and glass of wine in the lounge room overlooking the waves crashing right outside the main window.

The beauty did not stop there, as I progressed to another corner of the house and enjoyed a warm bath while the sun set. The best thing about this experience, was that the place was secluded, private and contained everything we needed to nestle into nature for a couple of days. We did not venture far during our time in the Bach — only out to take walks along the rocks and the coastal roads. The fireplace kept us toasty at night while we indulged in fresh seafood marinara and white wine. A stand out was definitely the quirky decor.

Before long, it was time to board our Rav-4 and set out for a lengthy drive to the lakes area.

Check out this glorious bach experience, we would recommend it to anyone passing through the South Island of NZ!

As always, all opinions and ideas are our own, however in the interests of disclosure this post was partly sponsored by the Woodpecker’s Bay Bach.