Rudkin Bay is a place that captures the soul and spirit – not just with its astounding natural beauty but the way it connects its occupants with each other and the landscape.
The 1.09ha Marlborough Sounds sanctuary has been developed over almost 80 years by three families, each imparting their own legacy and shaping it into what it exists as today.
The goal has always remained the same – creating a private paradise where friends and family can gather, heal, restore and relax in nature.
Current owners, the Sanders family, have cherished the property for the past six years and significantly enhanced the infrastructure, setting and accommodation to bring it into its next chapter.
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“I could wax lyrical about the property all day,” says Scott Sanders. “We fell in love with it and wanted to create a place where our extended family could come together.
“We’ve had the most extraordinary experiences here – weddings, anniversaries, 21st and 60th parties. Our record is 120 people, that was really fun. I’ve also just been here for a week writing on my own. It nurtures one person and 100 people equally.”
Rudkin Bay sits inside the larger Lochmara Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound and is just a 15-minute boat trip from Picton and 20 from Waikawa. At the water’s edge is a jetty, kayak shed and private sandy beach, along with a mooring out front.
A golden shingle track climbs up to a three-bedroom main house – The Party House – as Scott calls it, at the heart of the property. Four other cabins, accommodating up to 12 further guests, round out the accommodation.
The Sanders have refreshed the home to give it a classic Kiwi feel, with soft colours and white oak joinery and timber double glazing framing the views. Loggias offer shade and shelter, and a bar room with pool table opens onto a sunny stone terrace made for long evenings.
The 1.09ha Marlborough Sounds sanctuary has been developed over almost 80 years by three owners. Photo / Supplied
The main three-bedroom house is at the heart of the property. There are four other cabins, accommodating up to 12 further guests. Photo / Supplied
“We wanted people to feel comfortable in flip-flops and a T-shirt as well as wearing frocks and drinking champagne – my daughter was born on New Year’s Eve so we always have a big party and get dressed up.”
Below, among the tree ferns, three newly built double cabins and a restored 1950s cabin provide guests with their own private retreat. The 1950s cabin is called the Harper Lowry family cabin and has a bunk room of four king singles joined by a “hobbit door” to a parents’ king room. These cabins share the Huckstop – a cleverly designed amenities block with two bathrooms, a small kitchen, a laundry, a deck and a private firepit.
The Sanders recently rebuilt this whole area, with the refresh incorporating robust new infrastructure, retaining walls, a new bridge, septic system, power and water. All the updates and detail can be found documented on the Rudkin Bay website, which Scott has lovingly curated as not only a place to tell the story of the property but as a gallery of the magical moments that regularly occur here.
“On a recent Saturday night, we rolled the TV out of the kayak store, lit the fire and I made a big pot of beef ragout that we ate while watching the All Blacks thrash the Wallabies.
“I could wax lyrical about the property all day,” says owner Scott Sanders. Photo / Supplied
The property inside the larger Lochmara Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound and is just a 15-minute boat trip from Picton and 20 from Waikawa. Photo / Supplied
“I looked out at the bay at one point and there was half a dozen dusky dolphins playing right in front of us while the All Blacks were doing the haka. It was surreal. The birdlife is also incredible. We were having breakfast recently and there were bellbirds frolicking in Banksia so loudly we could barely hear each other!”
Despite the peace and solitude, Picton is just a short boat ride away for picking up guests or grabbing a toastie and ice cream.
Scott has a long-standing connection with the special coastal location. “I had my first ever holiday in the Marlborough Sounds, my wife and I got married there and so did my son. It gets in your soul.”
Will Porter from Bayleys is selling Rudkin Bay and says you’ve essentially got your own bay in one of the most tightly-held areas in the Sounds.
“The place just oozes history. The old stone walls were painstakingly crafted by the original owner who rowed around the Sounds collecting rocks. Thousands of hours have gone into this place and the Sanders have made it their own. It’s like a resort and a really fun place to be.”
The Rudkin Bay property in Lochmara Bay, Marlborough Sounds, is for sale by expressions of interest, deadline is February 4, 2027. Visit rudkinbay.co.nz.
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