‘You're not totally isolated, but you can be if you want to’: 70s bach with world-class view hits market

Do you remember where you spent the pandemic lockdowns, or have you erased the fever dream that was 2020 from your memory?

For Nelson couple Des and Tracey Ramsay, the moment-in-time brings backs some very fond memories and it’s easy to see why.

They escaped to their waterfront bach, situated in Punga Cove, deep in the Queen Charlotte Sound. The tidy 60m² bach sits snugly into 1384m² of land, with an almost criminally good outlook onto the Endeavour Inlet.

Looking back at 2020, Tracey says the days there were “stunning”.

“We loved it. It was gorgeous. Our groceries would come on a Friday. That was a real highlight.

“We could walk around because there was no one around.”

The simple bach has been owned by the couple for seven years now. Built in the early 70s, there had been some work done over the years, like the addition of a second bedroom, but it was “quite run down” when the couple viewed it.

“No one had been in it for, I think, for a few years. There was a dead mouse in the wardrobe, and it still had canned food, and bits and pieces there.”

The recently deceased extra guest didn’t put the experienced renovators off: “We actually prefer buying something that you can see the potential.”

A new, bigger deck was added to take advantage of the sun and views, and it was painted black, but with hints of peppermint green, “an ode” to the bach’s original outside colour.

It is being offered fully furnished. Tracey has upcycled many of the pieces, keen to keep the classic retro Kiwi bach vibe: “We quite like making things out of nothing.”

There are two bedrooms and a toilet, and a separate shed or “bunkie" for storage. There’s also an 18m registered mooring.

There are eight other properties in the enclave, close-by but hidden away from each other. Many of these are bachs too so at times the area “hums”, especially at Christmas and New Year.

“There is a hive of activity, which is really interesting, because you can sit there and you can watch the boats go by.”

Other times of the year, it can be just the two of them.

Although the bach is out of the way, it isn’t that remote. The Punga Cove Resort and Furneaux Lodge are close by for a “proper coffee” and a meal, and groceries can be dropped off on the jetty. It’s about a 45-minute boat ride from Waikawa Marina or just under over 90 minutes drive from Picton. And the Queen Charlotte Track is pretty much on your doorstep.

Tracey says the location is “the best of both worlds”: “You're not totally isolated, but you can be if you want to.”

And while it may be a stunner during the day, it transforms once the sun goes down.

Tracey says sitting in the spa while the stars twinkle overhead is “beautiful”: “There's no light, so seeing the Milky Way is amazing, especially over winter.”

The couple are selling up to go on new adventures, but will always treasure their time in this slice of Kiwiana.

The CV in 2023 for 145 Akerbloms Road, Queen Charlotte Sound, was $520,000. It’s to be sold by deadline - January 19. Carolyn Burn is the agent at Harcourts Picton & Sounds.