7 October 2013

Best Baches in New Zealand Revealed in Golden Piwa Awards

Over 3,000 Kiwis have voted in the inaugural Bookabach Golden Piwa Awards to reveal the best baches, cribs and holiday homes in the country, just in time for the summer holiday season.

Gold, silver and bronze awards were given out to the country’s best baches in six categories - Best in Location, Best in Pet-friendly, Best in Child-friendly, Best in Quirky and Fun, Best in Eco-friendly and Best in Hospitality.

Bookabach CEO Peter Miles says he’s thrilled with the public response to the people’s choice awards. “We've put together these awards to promote and celebrate what makes baches and holiday homes unique, and to acknowledge the effort that many bach owners put in to hosting their guests. All the winners should be extremely proud of being recognised as being the best in the country by the members of Bookabach.co.nz.”

Gold award winners include a cliff-top eco apartment for two located on Great Barrier Island featuring solar and wind power systems, as well as a historic converted church on the shores of Lake Poerua near the West Coast of the South island. Families may also want to check out the winners in the Best in Child Friendly and Best in Pet Friendly categories, ranging from a Rotorua farm-stay, to a cottage in Opononi with ample space for pets to roam.

While some of the winning properties are still available for rent over the summer months, Miles is anticipating a busy summer season. Christmas and New Year are already heavily booked, with August website visitors up 27 percent and those who booked up 36 percent. “October marks the start of peak demand as people start to finalise their plans for the holidays. So, if you are anticipating getting away for Christmas or New Year, you’ll need to be quick!”

Finalists were carefully selected from the 6,600 properties on Bookabach.co.nz, with the winners determined through public voting throughout September.

The full list of winners:

Best in Location
• Gold - Castaway Cottage (Tuateawa, Coromandel)
• Silver - Lakeside Maisonette (Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown)
• Bronze - Bach@Driftwood (Kerikeri, Bay of Islands)

Best in Child Friendly
• Gold - Tuck Inn Farmstay (Lake Ohakuri, Rotorua District)
• Silver - The Batch (Whangapoua)
• Bronze - Number "10" (Kuratau, Lake Taupo)

Best in Pet Friendly
• Gold - Cabbage Tree Cottage (Opononi, Hokianga, Far North)
• Silver - Acacia Bay Apartment (Acacia Bay, Lake Taupo)
• Bronze - The Paddock (Waikouaiti, East Otago)

Best in Quirky and Fun
• Gold - Poerua Church (Lake Brunner, West Coast)
• Silver - Funky Bunker (Glenorchy, Lake Wakatipu)
• Bronze - Spray Point Cobb Cottage (Waihopai Valley, Marlborough)

Best in Eco-friendly
• Gold - X-Spot (Tryphena, Great Barrier Island)
• Silver - Sunhaven (Bay of Many Coves, Queen Charlotte Sound)
• Bronze - Hairy Hobbit Eco Cottage (Brooklyn Hill, Motueka)

Best in Hospitality
• Gold - Bach@Driftwood (Kerikeri, Bay of Islands)
• Silver - The Library Bach (Pakawau Beach, Nelson-Golden Bay)
• Bronze - Ruffins Cottage (Ruffins Bay, Coromandel)

ENDS

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