A Slice of Marlborough Sounds Paradise

Photo gallery for A Slice of Marlborough Sounds Paradise

A two-story house with a balcony, surrounded by lush greenery and hills.
A balcony with a view of mountains and a lake.
A spacious living room with a sofa, a dining table, and a kitchen area in the background.
A bedroom with a bed, a wardrobe, a mirror, and a window with curtains.
A calm lake with mountains in the background.

Reviews

8.8 out of 10
Excellent

Highlights

  • No surprises here
    Top-rated for accuracy — guests say it's just as pictured.
  • Peace of mind included
    Guests rate the location highly for safety.

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Barbecue
  • Refrigerator
  • Washing machine
  • Non-smoking
  • Microwave

Explore the area

View map
Portage, Kenepuru Sound
  • Place, Kenepuru Sounds
    ‪37 min drive‬
  • Place, Mistletoe Bay
    ‪57 min drive‬
  • Airport, Blenheim (BHE-Woodbourne)
    ‪135 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Living Room 1

1 Double Sofa Bed and 1 Single Bed

Master Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Number of living rooms
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
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About the area

Black Rock

Black Rock is home to this holiday home. Kenepuru Sounds and Queen Charlotte Walkway reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Lochmara Lodge Arts Centre and Lochmara Lodge. Edwin Fox Museum and Waitohi Recreational Reserve are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with fishing and swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and mountain biking.
View more Holiday homes in Black RockOpens in a new window
Map
Portage, Kenepuru Sound

What's nearby

  • Kenepuru Sounds - 37 min drive - 18.3 km
  • Mistletoe Bay - 57 min drive - 26.6 km

Getting around

  • Picton (PCN) - 110 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Punga Fern Restaurant - ‬21 min drive
  • Dumpling for joy
  • ‪Boatshed Café & Bar - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪The Snapper Cafe - ‬26 min drive
  • Lochmara

Frequently asked questions

Is A Slice of Marlborough Sounds Paradise pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at A Slice of Marlborough Sounds Paradise?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at A Slice of Marlborough Sounds Paradise?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is A Slice of Marlborough Sounds Paradise located?

Situated in Black Rock, this holiday home is 8.3 mi (13.3 km) from Kenepuru Sounds and within 16 miles (25 km) of Lochmara Lodge Arts Centre and Queen Charlotte Walkway. Pelorus Sound and Okiwa Bay are also within 32 miles (52 km).

Reviews

8.8

Excellent

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 22 out of 40 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 40 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 40 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 40 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 40 reviews

8.6/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Awesome value for money, great wee Bach with an awesome beach just a few minutes away

Awesome value for money, great wee Bach with an awesome beach just a few minutes away
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
What a beautiful tranquil spot. Sandy Bay was a lovely area to spend a few days exploring the Marlborough Sounds and the bach was everything as described and just what we needed. We enjoyed going down to the beach and utilising the kayaks.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Warm and responsive hosts
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Happy as

Happy as peaceful spot
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Our week in Sandy Bay was one of our best family holidays. The bach was perfect for a family of six, the beach was safe and the locals were incredibly friendly. The drive is absolutely worth it - once we arrived, we were able to disconnect and decompress, which is hard to do these days. The owners, Gus and Lou, were welcoming and helpful. Sandy Bay is a special part of New Zealand... and we’ll definitely be back. Here are some photos taken from the balcony.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

4/10 Poor

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Listing accuracy

Sandy Bay bach

Basic bach with little done to make it homely. Okay but no more.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sandy Bay Review

Basic old-style bach but was a nice relaxed feel with a lovely deck. Surrounded by beautiful bush and bird life and short walk down to the beach. Absolutely stunning wee bay with fabulous swimming and great to have access to the dinghy.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

quite get away

property is more like the kiwi bach. Actually could get internet access which was helpful. Enjoyed the stay and setting.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2021
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place!

Great location just a couple of minutes walk to the beach, classic clean kiwi Bach. Really enjoyed our stay
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2021
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice place for a rustic retreat

We really enjoyed getting away from it all.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Kiwi batch with stunning views

We had a wonderful stay! 15 minutes from Portage Hotel in a gorgeous small bay. Sheltered from the wind, with stunning views. House is a proper kiwi batch, with one double bed, separate room with two singles, and two pull out couches in living room. Fairly basic but definitely all you need! Was very clean, with exception of the shower which had a lot of grime. Not cleaned by previous people staying, which was pretty gross. Otherwise, we absolutely loved our stay!
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Restful location

A comfortable bach in a great location. Close to the water, very quiet and lots of great bird life.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Sandy bay

Was an awesome spot nice an cosy hopefully rent again
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2020
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Paradise Found

This Bach in the Marlborough Sounds is set in native bush. Cicadas and bell birds are all around. Getting to the Bach is easy with directions sent to you. The boat is on the beach and rowing in the bay is great, we even caught some fish. There are games, cards, dvds to keep boredom at bay but we were so busy enjoying nature and awesome surroundings that we never used them. The Bach has everything you need and the best shower. We had a great time and would definitely go back.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Brilliant overall

Great value, great location. Addition of the dinghy is a nice touch
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Had a lovely visit.Thanks

Very nice and quite place to relax get away from city life...
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location and well kept bach

Exactly what we were looking for. Clean, tidy and great location. We had a great stay. Louisa was a great owner making sure we were happy and everything was ok.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing weekend spot

A lovely, peaceful location to relax and unwind. The bach is clean and tidy and had everything we needed. We were very comfortable and just a short stroll down to a beautiful bay for swimming, beautiful sunsets and trying our luck at fishing. Many thanks for allowingys to use your bach, we really enjoyed ourselves.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Sandy Bay stay

Cleanliness left a lot to be desired. Floor was filthy and shower not much better. Also squeegy mop filthy. Dust and sweet papers behind my single bed in that bedroom. Only cleaned behind bed next to cupboard. My friend found double room dirty. On plus side plenty of hot water and fridge freezer great. Beds were comfortable. Electric fire and supply of blankets great. Didn't use the oven but microwave great. Didn't use any left-over food as took all our own and didn't want probably out-of-date food and sauces. So didn't clean the food cupboard. Plenty of cleaning products supplied but threw out some cloths. Took our own dishcloths. Draining dish tray very dirty . Also cutlery top drawer dirty. On balance loved our stay at Sandy Bay but cleanliness of property was very poor.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2020
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Tidy old school bach

This is your typical old school bach. Very tidy and clean, with heaps of kitchen equipment for any need. Half the bach had no power, but we were given plenty of warning, a workaround and a very generous discount. A good base for activities on the water.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2020
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great spot.

Great.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Sounds escape

A perfect bach for exploring the Sounds! The bird life was phenomenal and the sunny deck the ideal spot for a bbq and glass of wine. There were some minor electrical issues that popped up prior to our stay but the communication was excellent and Lou and Gus even popped by to make sure things were working out ok. Highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful bach in an idyllic setting

We stayed in Gus & Lou's wonderful bach for Christmas and couldn't have picked a better place, or setting. It is spacious and has everything you need with a real home-away-from-home feel to it. Sandy Bay is a little pocket of paradise, a nice quiet location with a good swimming beach, which is a short walk from the bach. If we have the opportunity to visit again then this is the place we would pick. Thanks Lou & Gus, this was a real highlight of our trip.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

Very basic traditional kiwi Bach in a great location

Had a great time. Older style Bach that might be a bit cold in winter but wonderful summer retreat. Beautiful little beach about 200m walk away. Bach in a group of about 20-30 houses but was private enough when we were there. Is a long way to shops so just need to bring everything you will need (bread, milk, toilet paper, tissues, fishing bait, beer!!). Had a great time and would book this Bach again. Thank you.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2019
Verified review

8/10 Good

Beaut Spot

Great stay at the kiwi bach!!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
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