Perfectfor: A long weekend luxuriating by a wood-fired hot tub. With, or without, the kids.
First impressions: The narrow Lavericks Bay road takes you to the far side of the Banks Peninsula. The sheep station is in one of the many coves you rarely get to see. After the drive from Christchurch to Akaroa, it's another 35 minutes further on.
Coasting down the sheep track of Lavericks Ridge road, the approach is as equally epic as the setting. Fortunately, once you reach the surf you'll not want to go anywhere.
The cabin itself occupies prime position, with decking out to the north-facing cove of Lavericks Bay. The chimney of the cedar hot tub is impossible to miss, especially when it's billowing a plume of white smoke.
Under the watchful eye of the sheepdog kennels, Lavericks is a historic and uniquely situated farm. You can see this from the old wharf road. Once the main way to access the land was by sea, it is now a morning walk out past the wide, flat beach. Yes, it's very surfable.
Lavericks Bay on Banks Peninsula. Photo / Thomas Bywater
Rooms: The two bedrooms are full of Kiwi-made furniture. Sparsely but carefully decorated, a lot of thought has been put into the fitout. There is a master bedroom and a kids' room with two single beds. A collection of books and board games decorate the shelves in case the weather packs in. In the main living area, there's a cowhide rug, beanbag, sofa and a large dining table under the even bigger views of the bay.
The kitchen is also reassuringly high-end. Good news as there are no nearby options for eating out. The two-night minimum booking means you can take your time. You'll find ramekins, assorted plates and implements.
Lavericks Bay Beach Cabin on Banks Peninsula. Photo / Thomas Bywater
Bathroom: There is a warm indoor shower and basin for washing off the salt spray. Towels provided.
Food & drink: You'll need to cart this in yourself. The cabins are self-catering. With the nearest dairy back over the ridge into Akaroa - up that 11km sheep track - you'll not want to forget any necessities.
Although it is a bit of a mission into town, the tourist town is worth the mission. Akaroa is a popular summer destination, full of options to eat out. It wears its French connections proudly. Ma Maison and Mandala are highly recommended. As is the obligatory walk to the lighthouse and old wharf.
In the neighbourhood: Out the back of one of Canterbury's most picturesque holiday spots, you're spoilt for walking tracks and views of the peninsula. The access road is taken off the Scenic Tourist drive around the crater rim. The Ōtepatotu and Hinewai reserves are nearby along with views back towards the alps and - on a clear day - as far up the coast as Akaroa. The route also crosses parts of the Banks Track.
Facilities: You can't overstate how close, quiet and isolated the beach is. And it's all yours. Shallow, sandy and north-facing - you'll want to spend as much of your time on it as possible.
The log-burning Alpine hot tub is a unique feature of the bach. This is hot tubs done the hard way. It takes a good 12 hours to come up to temperature. Lighting it and feeding the hungry burner is a full-time responsibility, but it's well worth the effort. It's easy to see why there is a two-night minimum booking on the property. My advice is to get to it right away. Once up and running it will remain blissfully warm well into the following day.
Accessibility: There are no special concessions for wheelchair accessibility.
Sustainability: The cabin is a fairly recent addition to the seventh-generation farm. They tried to make the building process as environmentally conscious as possible. On a sheep station, wool insulation was a natural choice. Using wool-stuffed mattresses, natural rubber and New Zealand-made furnishings, they have built the bach around firmly-held sustainability principles.
