Scrubby Bay hotel review - Akaroa, New Zealand

Owned by New Zealand businessman Mark Palmer, the 4,000-acre Annandale estate farm, a leisurely hour’s drive south from Christchurch, ticks all our boxes for an old-fashioned yet luxurious getaway. Its location on the Banks Peninsula – a spectacular rocky headland facing the Pacific Ocean – is a picturesque palette of muscular ridges, private coves, and grassy hills grazed by the resident sheep and cattle. The master plan by architect Andrew Patterson comprises five spacious villas. Of these, the newly opened Scrubby Bay is, design-wise, probably the one that cleaves closest to the ideal of the New Zealander bach, and it’s all the more unforgettable for it. Comfortably accommodating 14 guests, the secluded cedar-clad villa stretches out along the beach and features three sea-fronted suites, a deck warmed by an open fire pit, and an outdoor spa. Arrival at this sea-flecked retreat is either by helicopter or a panoramic drive along cliff-top tracks. Roughing it has never been this comfortable.