Baches for Rent in New Zealand

A bach, said “batch”, is the New Zealand word for a holiday house. The name is short for bachelor pad, and in the far south of the South Island the same kind of place is called a crib. Baches grew up after the Second World War, when better roads let families build simple holiday houses by the beaches, lakes and rivers they went back to every summer.

What to expect. A bach is a whole house to yourselves, usually plain rather than polished. Every bach on Bookably has its own kitchen, and nearly all have a deck or patio with a table and a barbecue, because eating outside is the point. Bring your own food; some baches are a long way from a shop. Almost all of ours have free Wi-Fi. Mobile signal is weaker on the West Coast, so check the listing if you need to stay reachable. Most hosts ask for a stay of two nights or more.

Who they suit. Families and groups of friends who want space, and a beach or a lake outside the door rather than a hotel. Most of our baches sleep four to six, a few sleep eight, and a couple are set up for two. About half take pets, some of them dogs only.

Where ours are. The largest group is on the West Coast of the South Island at Fox River, facing the Tasman Sea. The rest are spread across Lake Taupō, the Rotorua lakes, the Coromandel at Whangamatā and Whitianga, Northland at Russell and Mangawhai Heads, the Horowhenua coast at Waitārere and Foxton Beach, Raglan, Auckland’s west coast at Te Henga, and the Canterbury coast near Gore Bay.