Jane and Geoff Bews have rented just about all their married life, with Jane estimating they’ve lived in at least 16 or 17 rentals over the years. So, when they’d returned from overseas at the start of Covid to live in a bach that had been in the family for 30 years, it seemed like providence when they came across a real estate sign advertising five hectares in the Marlborough Sounds township of Anakiwa (population 160). “When we first walked up, we couldn’t see the view until the last minute. Then it took our breath away,” says Geoff. They snapped it up.

At a 200-metre elevation, the site has stunning sea views for 36km from the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. From there you can watch the Interislander ferries come and go from Picton, spot the dolphins, survey the abundance of native kerurū, tūī and bellbirds swooping over the headland and weka waddling around in the bush. At night they’ve been known to hear kiwi.

What’s more, they bought an incredibly private section with no visible neighbours and the certain knowledge the view beyond can’t be built on. After living in all those rentals, they knew they wanted to build their first house with a Scandinavian feel.

“Our brief [to Arthouse Architects] was pretty open. We wanted a pool, four bedrooms — two with ensuites, plus a garage and space for a workshop,” says Jane.

They got all of that encased in a modern dark exterior of Abodo, steel and larch cladding, with Abodo and larch on the interior — all off a spine of plastered timber. It blends into the landscape and “will settle into the hill a bit more as the bush grows,” says Jane.

It’s the view that’s the most important feature of the house, so generous use of large picture windows and sliding doors was used throughout. One of the best things about living here for Jane is opening the electric blinds from bed and watching the sunrise. Geoff’s favourite is having breakfast on the deck and watching the inversion of clouds from his lofty height.

When they tear themselves away from that view, there’s always plenty to do. They hosted four generations of family last Christmas and Geoff’s been busy building a glasshouse and outbuilding that will be a small gym and sleepout for the grandkids. The couple has also been landscaping the section and doing a lot of biking, walking and fishing. “Jane walks to the mailbox most days,” says Geoff. “It’s 20 minutes down and 40 up.”

"We just feel so settled here,” says Jane as she sits in the living space gazing at that incredible view