Soak In New Zealand’s Rugged Beauty at This Remote Farmhouse Retreat

Accessible via helicopter or a 40-minute 4x4 ride overtop clifftop farm tracks, Scrubby Bay offers a remote slice of paradise on a working coastal farm.

Text by

Lucy Wang

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Nestled on a crescent-shaped surf beach on South Island’s Banks Peninsula sits a deceptively simple beach house. Scrubby Bay is a rustic retreat flush with modern luxuries and breathtaking scenery at every turn.

A helicopter view of Scrubby Bay. The villa is located on the far end of the 4,000-acre Annandale property.

The getaway’s farmhouse-inspired appearance is a nod to Annandale, the 4,000-acre sheep and cattle farm to which the property belongs. Kiwi businessman Mark Palmer purchased the coastal property and, inspired by his childhood years on a farm, tapped architect Andrew Patterson of Auckland–based firm Patterson Associates to update Annandale with four luxury villas—Scrubby Bay being the largest and most remote of them all.

Flanked by hills, Scrubby Bay stretches east to west facing the Pacific Ocean on rocky headland.

The design of Scrubby Bay was inspired by a piece of slowly aging driftwood.

"Design spurs from the symmetry of the bay," Patterson explains, having placed the Scrubby Bay house in the center of the bay’s long arc. "The structure remains long and low, not needing to compete with its breathtaking surroundings; instead it remains appurtenant, belonging to the land. The balance of the bay complements the form of the barn, as do the sun-soaked crops that blend in with the natural cedar wood exterior."

Scrubby Bay sleeps up to 14 guests. Annandale offers plenty of activities, from farm experiences to hiking and biking.

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The cedar-clad villa comprises two gabled forms spanning approximately 4,800 square feet. It includes three ocean-front bedroom suites, a bunk room that sleeps eight, a lofty great room with a central hearth built of locally quarried stone, a sun-soaked patio looking towards the ocean, and a large pool in the rear.

The living area features Roche Bobois furnishings and a rug made from the farm’s sheep wool. Not pictured is the central fireplace built of locally quarried stone.

Sliding pocket doors create a seamless connection between the indoor living areas and the north-facing deck.

Taking inspiration from a "slowly aging piece of farm driftwood," the architects wrapped Scrubby Bay’s roof and facade with untreated cedar that will naturally weather over time. The interior is fully lined in locally sourced macrocarpa juxtaposed with black steel fittings. Custom-designed fittings are used throughout—from door hardware to furniture, lighting, oak grills, and handles.

All three bedroom suites come with a soaking tub overlooking ocean views.

"The bay was rural and peaceful and rugged," Patterson notes. "I labored very hard about whether to do a completely abstracted form on that site, and I didn’t want to do that because that bay is eternal, and one thing that you do know is it’s likely to be a farm for a long time.

Exterior sliding cedar panels seal off the building when it's not in use and for protection against storms.

Scrubby Bay is completely private yet still connected—guests have access to Wi-Fi, digital television, and even laundry services and catered meals.

"If you pick a contemporary form, you fight the timeless nature of the bay. But the building is reasonably abstracted in a material sense – everything about it is still very contemporary, but unmistakably rural New Zealand. It’s not excessive in any way. It has classic proportions and natural forms. The drama of that house is its centeredness in the amphitheater of the bay."