Dreamy: Hahei Ocean Dream was Bach of the Year 2021 Silver place winner. Photo / Supplied
Dreamy: Hahei Ocean Dream was Bach of the Year 2021 Silver place winner. Photo / Supplied
As the Bach of the Year awards enters its second decade, the definition of the once-humble Kiwi holiday home has been stretched to the limits.
Bookabach has today announced New Zealand's 10 best baches for 2021, the winners of the 11th annual awards. This longlist of winning properties includes a converted barn in Raglan and a palatial holiday home on the Kāpiti Coast with space for 25 - and then some.
Winning baches were judged on bookings and reviews made over the past year, visitor feedback and their overall appeal for family holidays.
"The winning baches reflect today's travel trends where we're increasingly seeing Kiwis take frequent and sometimes last-minute road trips to private holiday houses," said Simone Scoppa of Bookabach.
Bach of the year 2021: Collie's Beach House, Mangawhai Heads. Photo / Supplied
While Kiwis will always have a soft spot for beachside huts and Formica furniture, the baches of 2021 are "some of the country's most sophisticated and stylish holiday homes", said Scoppa.
With 10 winners from across Aotearoa, there was only one Gold Medal award for first place.
The winner of 2021 Bach of the Year was Collie's Beach House in Mangawhai Heads, on the Auckland-Northland divide.
With only a 30-metre gap from front door to the surf, this nine-bedroom beach house is popular with large family groups all year round.
Bach of the year 2021: Collie's Beach House, Mangawhai Heads. Photo / Supplied
"Stylishly decorated with black and white throughout, this is no ordinary bach," says Bookabach's judges.
Hahei Ocean Dream was Bach of the Year 2021 Silver place winner. Photo / Supplied
Not far away, on the other side of the Coromandel, the runner-up was a close-run thing. In second place, the Silver award went to Hahei Ocean Dream. With covered decking, large-framed windows and within walking distance of Hahei Beach and Cathedral Cove, the holiday home is … well dreamy. There's plenty of room for family groups, including a separate summer sleepout for kids who want their own space.
The final individual award went to Redrock Hut in Ōhakune, which took home Bronze for its all-year-round alpine appeal. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms provide generous living space for outdoorsy families. With Ruapehu and the Tongariro Crossing on your doorstep, you'll want to pack your boots, skis or bikes to explore.
Alpine escape: Red Barn in Ōhakune is Bach of the Year 2021, Bronze award. Photo / Claire Mossong
The seven shortlisted baches are also worth a mention, in no particular order:
Bach of the year 2021, runners-up
● Black Diamond Queenstown: a scenic ski lodge, 3 bedrooms, sleeps 6
● Big Bach, Raumati South, Kāpiti Coast: an 8-bedroom beach house with room for 25
● Bluebird on Snowmass, Ōhakune: a modern mountain escape with 4 bedrooms, sleeps 10
Bach of the Year shortlisted: Double Diamond, Queenstown. Photo / Supplied
● Ocean View Barn, Raglan: A dog-friendly West Coast bach with 3 bedrooms, sleeps 8
