Shortlist rating good news for villa owners

THE VERANDAH: Seen here relaxing with their grandchildren, the Verandah's owners, Lady Kathy Clarke and Sir John Clarke were thrilled their Whataupoko villa had made the Bookabach Bach of the Year shortlist. Picture by Paul Rickard

“Thrilled”, is how The Verandah owner Lady Kathy Clarke felt when she and husband Sir John Clarke were told their spacious Whataupoko villa had made the Bookabach Bach of the Year shortlist.

The couple bought the house to accommodate family when they returned for the Christmas period. Known as The Verandah, because of its spacious, roofed porch, the house is rented out for the rest of the year and has been with Bookabach for about 15 years.

With six bedrooms and capacity to accommodate 10 people the house is suitable for groups such as wedding parties and family reunions, says Lady Kathy.

“It has a lovely big verandah along the back of the house.”

Family members were in charge of decorating their own rooms during which time the verandah was their meal-time base.

“It's such a lovely part of the house we thought The Verandah was a good name.”

The Verandah is one of more than 50 “baches” available in the Gisborne/ East Coast area.

Sir John and his wife live in Lower Hutt.

The Verandah shared the Bach of the Year shortlist with properties ranging from a rustic stone cottage in Gibbston, Central Otago and a “tree house” at Hanmer Springs, to beach houses at Raglan, Whangamata and Papamoa. The winner was a house at Lake Tarawera. In second place was a Taupo property and third was a house at Mapua, near Nelson.

This is the ninth year of the Bookabach awards.

Selection of the finalists was based on booking data from Bookabach from August 15, 2019 to August 15, 2020, as well as traveller reviews, star and cleanliness ratings.