bachchat | EVENTS | STORIES | GUIDES : Historic buildings

Historic Baches on Rangitoto Island

The youngest island in the Hauraki Gulf boasts some of its oldest baches - a glimpse of a holiday community from our past. - More

Mabels Cottage in Mangonui

A colonial cottage with views of Mill Bay - the perfect base for enjoying historic Mangonui - More

Makakahi Lodge

Down on the farm - luxuriously: a country lodge with trout-fishing, Ruapehu, bush and historical relics on its doorstep. - More

Uncle Bill’s legacy

William McNie won a block of land near Ohakune at the end of the 19th century. The cottage he built has been restored by his descendants and named in his memory - More

Bay of Islands boarding house

A set of apartments in Opua housed American soldiers during World War II, in its earlier incarnation as a boarding house - More

Nelson labour of love

A 1930s villa has been painstakingly restored by hand, piece by piece - More

Inner city cottage goes bush

A former St Mary’s Bay kauri cottage is now a quiet retreat for visitors to the Waitakeres - More

A cottage built with stolen money

Dirty dealings by a customs officer in the 1850s were the likely source of funds used to build Blackmore Cottage in Nelson - More

Canterbury potter’s cottage

A hundred-year-old worker's cottage near Darfield is now a popular holiday spot for skiers as far away as Europe - More

Scandrett Bay: Trelise Cooper’s childhood bach

Trelise Cooper talks about carefree days at her family’s north Auckland bach - More

Writing on the wall at Wainui

A piece of east coast history has been preserved on the walls of a Wainui Beach cottage - More

Tea and scones in Milton Street

A kauri cottage in Milton Street is a link to Nelson’s past - More

High country cob cottage

Almost a century ago, a cob cottage in Waihopai Valley was used as shearers’ quarters - More

Ninety years in the life of a Waiheke bach

A two-room bach at Oneroa has evolved into a collection of three cottages with sea views - More

The blue house at the beach

The owners of Our Blue Bach in Waikuku bought the house after a chance meeting with its former occupants - More

Railway cottage gets a new lease of life

A renovated Martinborough railway cottage is the culmination of years of planning by its owners - More