When it comes to having the most idyllic locations for a bach, two Northland holiday spots have proved the region has pockets of pure bliss, taking out the top two spots of the Best Setting list at the country's annual Golden Piwa bach awards.
A total of nine awards came to the region this year including best bach setting, with Mangonui's Taemaro Lodge taking gold and Tutukaka's Stunning-Beachfront winning silver. Taemaro Lodge is described by Bookabach as a "one-of-a-kind beachfront bach on 800 acres of private land".
Mike Langridge manages the property on behalf of his family. The bach, which sits 20 metres from the sands of Taemaro Bay, was built 40 years ago by Mike's father and is a "rustic" haven running on solar power, with water piped from a nearby spring.
Also scooping gold for the region was Oke Beach House in Rawhiti in the Bay of Islands, which won Best by Design.
The luxury, cliff-top property has already won several awards for the architectural design and style since it was built in 2005, once scooping the Master Builders House of the Year.
