A boutique 'island style' retreat overlooking the surf

at Tauranga Bay, Cape Foulwind, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand

Nestled in the peninsula overlooking the popular surf break at Tauranga Bay, Cape Foulwind, The Bay House is in a unique and enviable coastal location giving all who come here a sense of escape to somewhere close to paradise.

Set midway between Abel Tasman National Park and the Glaciers on the West Coast, our 'barefoot luxury' individual studios and suites are ideal for that deserved break on your South Island tour or for a few days luxury getaway by the coast. Tauranga Bay (home to one of NZ's most accessible fur seal colonies) is located 16kms south of Westport and 56kms north of Punakaiki, and only 12kms from the main South Island coastal tourist drive route aptly named 'The Great Coast Road', noted to be one of the most spectacular coastal drives on the planet!

Formerly the local surf club and cafe, the Bay House has evolved into a unique 'island style' retreat ideal for couples searching for tranquility and a touch of 'barefoot luxury' on the wild West Coast of the South Island.  Our 'child free' accommodation, completed in January 2019, comprises  2 x 'high spec' luxury beachfront studios and 2 x one bedroom garden suites, all sensitively blending into their natural West Coast environment. In essence the studios design reflects its coastal surrounds. The contemporary coastal decor creates a sense of quiet understated luxury which complements and also highlights the spectacular views. Natural interior textures include timber floorings (Studios 1 & 2) and 100% wool carpets in all bedrooms, NZ Made bamboo pendant lighting by Kiwi designer David Trubridge, timber kitchen bench tops & granite stone sinks, Italian natural stone bathroom tiles & bespoke native timber vanities - all of which contribute to the feeling of quality 'barefoot luxury'.

Elevated and only 15 metres from the oceans edge, The Bay House enjoys commanding views of the popular Tauranga Bay surf break and Wall Island to the north and just 100 metres to the south side of the peninsula is Penguin Bay and Nine Mile beach. Step out of your beach studio or garden suite, walk just 15 to 40 metres and you are on the beach - there are rock pools to fossick or bathe in, soft golden sands to stretch out on, amazing surf to play in (lessons available), the Kawatiri Coastal Trail for walking and biking and short strolls or long walks all around including the Fur Seal Colony and Cape Foulwind Walkway.  

Choose to do it all… or as little as possible, and at the end of the day be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the ocean and chatter of penguins. Stay for a couple of nights (one is never enough!) and simply relax and unwind in our little corner of Eden.  

Surf break and Wall Island, Tauranga Bay, West Coast

Tauranga Bay surf break & island view

Watch the surf breaking in the bay from one of our 'barefoot luxury' Studios

Just had a fabulous 2 night stay at The Bay House in the beachfront unit. Wow, state of the art new units, self contained, with every comfort needed. Amazing views across Tauranga Bay to Wall Island, breaking surf rolling past our unit only 50 metres away, the views full on from inside the unit and on our balcony. Lulled to sleep at night by the sea, and the gentle chatter of penguins. The hosts, Doc and Sandra, who formerly ran the Bay House café here, put on a gourmet breakfast spread of fresh fruit, yogurt, muesli, eggs, spinach and fresh NZ salmon on home baked toast. We ate on the terrace overlooking the stunning view of the bay, enjoying their espresso coffee. It was a great base for our day trip south to Punakaiki and the Paparoa National Park, not to mention a short walk down the beach to the seal colony. Sandra and Doc are warm, friendly and generous hosts, welcoming from beginning to end, full of helpful travel suggestions, and ready to provide whatever we needed.

Elizabeth & John, Australia  Dec 2018 (Air B&B)  

luxury Beachside Studio private deck West Coast accommodation New Zealand

View from Beachfront Studio #1's view from lounge 

'Barefoot Luxury' Studio (1) has uninterrupted views of the breaking surf and Wall Island

Beautiful, modern suite right on the ocean. My husband and I loved our stay at The Bay House. We made a last-minute booking on our way from Franz Josef to Abel Tasman. We awoke to stunning views of the ocean and had an enormous gourmet breakfast. Accommodations were modern and well-styled (no expenses spared), and the hosts were warm and welcoming. Wish we could have stayed longer. A highlight of our trip to NZ!

Margo, USA Feb 2019 (Booking.com)

Beachside Studio accommodation West Coast New Zealand

Aerial View of Bay House accommodation

We had a wow experience at Sandra and Doc’s. The location is perfect after a long scenic drive to arrive at the tip of the cape overseeing the beach. The view and the modern decor of this newly built small cabin gave us an ideal place to enjoy the sunset moment all by ourselves. The cabin is so meticulously designed for the comfort of the guests that it even has an motion detected heated mirror, amongst many other details.

To top it all, the hosts are the champ of our stay. Sandra n Doc are such an interesting couple with much experience in hospitality from their previous career. Most importantly, they are passionate about their work and fully engaging in making sure our stay is the best one. We feel like staying in a friend's home rather than in an Airbnb. All-in-all, I will rank this stay with Sandra and Doc as the high point of our two-week touring around New Zealand and last but not least, it is certainly super value for money!! During our two weeks in NZ, we have stayed in some most expensive lodges but this one topped.

Emily & Kaven, Hong Kong, Feb 2019 (Air B&B)

View from breakfast room inside The Bay House Westcoast NZ

'Barefoot luxury' - Beachfront Studio #2 view from lounge

Relax and watch the waves roll in.

Great location, fantastic hosts, great food, went the extra mile to make us feel welcome, looking forward to our next visit.

William & Susan, Christchurch NZ, Sep 2019 (Expedia)

So beautiful, rooms are clean and stylish. Staff were so welcoming and friendly. Would come back again any day. Will miss it.

Christian, Australia Feb 2019, (Booking.com)