“Bach.” It’s not a typo. It’s the Kiwi word for a modest holiday home. We are standing in front of Bach 3.
Baches are more than just buildings. They are an iconic part of New Zealand’s history and culture. They represent a simpler time. A time when beach holidays were becoming accessible to the middle class.
The Bach 3 here in Auckland stands as a testament to that era.
Baches gained popularity in the 1950s. Roads improved. Car ownership increased. Families flocked to the beach every year. Baches began popping up in favourite vacation spots.
Bach was thought to be short for bachelor pad. But they tended to be family holiday homes. An alternative theory suggests the word comes from Welsh. “Bach” means small or little. Welsh miners relocated to New Zealand during mining booms.
Baches are almost always small structures. They are made of cheap or recycled materials. Fibrolite, corrugated iron and used timber were common. They were influenced by backwoods cabins and sheds. Some baches used a caravan as their core. Old trams were also repurposed as baches. More than 100 trams were relocated to the Coromandel Peninsula.
A reconstructed bach from the 1950s can be found in the New Zealand Maritime Museum. It shows how baches looked back then.
Early baches lacked amenities. No water, electricity or indoor toilets. Furnishings were simple. Often, they were secondhand.
Today, the basic bach has been replaced. Modern “holiday houses” are more common now. They are more substantial and more expensive. Stricter building codes require professional construction. Coastal land has been subdivided. More residents and visitors arrive. Traffic increases. Cafes, mobile phone coverage and craft shops appear.
Old baches often have “existing use” rights. This is under the 1991 Resource Management Act. Newer regulations wouldn’t allow such modest buildings. So, they are prized possessions.
Rangitoto Island, near Auckland, has a rich history of baches. The first bach was built there in 1918. By 1937, around 140 were built. Building was banned that year. In the 70s and 80s, many were demolished.
A moratorium was put in place in 1990. Those that remained became part of the island’s historic record. The baches can no longer be sold to new buyers. Major work is prohibited. Many have been modified and updated. But they retain their original character.
The Rangitoto Island Historic Conservation Trust was formed in 1997. It works to conserve the historic bach communities. The Trust recognises them as irreplaceable artefacts. They represent New Zealand’s architectural and social history.
The Trust works with the Department of Conservation and Iwi. Together, they restore, preserve and maintain the baches. They manage a museum and provide information. They also archive information about the bach settlements.
Bach 3 is a reminder of this unique heritage. It represents a time when simple pleasures were enough. A time when families gathered at the beach. They created memories that lasted generations.