When I did a road trip around the South Island, I thought I had seen everything. The South Island has some really beautiful parts to it, and I didn’t rate the Marlborough Sounds at the top of my list.
So when Connor took me for a weekend away down to their family bach (kiwi word for holiday home) in the Marlborough Sounds, I was just looking forward to some time away from work, and technology.
I hadn’t seen any photos of Penzance Bay before the trip, so I had no idea what to expect, and to be honest, I didn’t really know where it was. The road there was a windy, narrow, cliff edged pathway, leading up and down hills twice over, feeling like we were literally going to the middle of nowhere.
It took about two hours until we were finally there, and leaving after work meant we got there in the dark. The family bach was just so homely, the interior was dated as though it had been paused in time, with a wood fire that heated up the place as well as the hot water. Though we had electricity, there was no mobile signal or wifi (just what I wanted!).
We unpacked everything, had some tea and headed for an early night, after an exhausting week of backbreaking work (but thats another story).
The next morning, we woke up to this view:

yep, no filter needed. This was the view from the balcony, overlooking Penzance Bay.
As I stood on the balcony admiring the view and breathing in the fresh, pollution free air, I noticed how peacefully quiet the place was, apart from the lullaby of the tuis and other birds enjoying the morning.
We went for a walk down to the jetty, which had a small parking area nearby with a few 4×4’s lined up with empty trailers on the back. Some locals had already left for a days fishing, making the most of the perfect conditions.

We realised we too should make the most of the conditions and head out whilst the water was calm. After prepping the boat with all the fishing gear, few snacks, and lots of layers for me (because I manage to feel the cold even when the sun is shining) we headed out in the little dinghy.
Despite Connor advising me that nowadays to catch lots of fish you have to head a lot further out, I managed to catch 8 fish! Including a Brim, also known as a baby snapper. Unfortunately they were all too small to keep, but I still class them as fish caught!

The next day started with low cloud covering the hills, we were worried it was due to rain. We weren’t sure what to do, so we went to the garage (where the boats were kept) to see if there was anything to do. Looking around this garage it was literally a outdoor/water sports enthusiasts heaven. It was filled completely, with anything and everything you could think of. There was the small dinghy, as well as a big boat, which had to be pulled out by a little tractor (also in the garage), with kayaks, wake boards, kneeboards, bodyboards, fishing rods, table tennis, and more. I went from thinking this place was amazing, to thinking it was unbeatable. We chose the kayaks, and headed down to the shore.

Without bungs in the kayak meant we instantly got wet bums, but the enjoyment of gliding through the still water seeing the fish below us soon made us forget about it.

It was so quiet, we couldn’t see any boats out, and with the cloud laying just above the water, it felt slightly eerie. We kayaked further out of the bay, around the corner where the water opened up to further channels of the Marlborough Sounds, and watched the sun slowly shine through and lift the clouds.
It was then that I realised just how magical this place was. It was my happy place. The place where if I could choose to go anywhere in the world, this was the place.
After our first trip, I persuaded Connor to take me back there another couple of times. We even took my parents down there when they came to visit me from England. The latest trip was with Connors family, and we took the big boat out for a days fishing.
Below are some more photos from my trips down to Penzance Bay, taken from my phone or my Go Pro.

 

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