Sandy Shores - The perfect beach house *

SUNDAY FOR FREE TC's: Book pay for Friday and Saturday night stay and ask us to add in the Sunday for free! Valid stays 1 May30 Nov 2026. Subject to availability. Excludes public holiday weekends school holidays. Not valid with any other offers or promotions.
Sandy Shores
Big enough for the whole family. Quiet enough to hear the sea.
Every family has the holiday it talks about for years afterwards. Sandy Shores is built for that one. Up on a leafy dune in Rye, a twelve-minute walk from the ocean beach, this six-bedroom, pet-friendly house has room for three generations to spread out across three levels, and to find each other again at dinner.
The House
Upstairs is where everyone gathers. There's a big round sofa in front of the gas fire, a long table that seats ten, and a proper cook's kitchen, with a butler's pantry so the mess stays out of sight. The west-facing deck catches the last of the light, and that's where most evenings end up.
Downstairs belongs to the kids, or to whoever wins at pool. There's a second lounge, a games room and a little deck with bar stools, far enough from the grown-ups that everyone gets some peace.
Six bedrooms sleep fourteen. Every one has air conditioning and a ceiling fan, so nobody draws the short straw on a hot night. The master ensuite has a skylight over the shower, so you're more or less showering under the sky. With three bathrooms, the morning queue moves quickly.
Make Yourself at Home
The pool is private and tucked into the garden. It's tiled in mosaic and heated from December to April, so the swimming season runs long. There's an outdoor shower for rinsing off on the way back from the beach. The front deck has a table for twelve and a six-burner BBQ. Out in the front garden, a gazebo and firepit wait for the nights nobody wants to go inside.
A few honest things before you book. The house sits high on a sand dune, so there are a lot of steps, both up from the street and between floors. That's what gives it the privacy and the treetop feel, but it isn't the right house for anyone who finds stairs hard, and little ones will need watching on the steps and decks. The pool is 1.2 m to 1.8 m deep, with no shallow end.
The Neighbourhood, Honestly
Walk two minutes and you're at the little row of shops on Dundas Street. Walk twelve and you're at Alison Avenue Beach, a wild, unpatrolled back beach made for long walks and sea air rather than a swim. For swimming between the flags, the patrolled surf beach at Rye Ocean Beach is a 25-minute walk, and Rye's calm bay beach is a short drive. The national park around the back beaches doesn't allow dogs, even on a lead. You'll find more of our favourite coffee stops in our Best Coffee in Rye guide.
Local Favourites
The Milk Bar, Dundas Street
Literally a 2-minute walk from the front door, and famous locally for its chips and gravy. Send the kids down after a swim, or go with them.
Store 360, Dundas Street
Our favourite, in the same strip of shops, for good food, good coffee and shelves of local produce and gifts. It's the easy answer to breakfast, and to something special to take home.
St Andrews Beach Brewery
A short drive away, and a good reason to gather the whole group for a long afternoon once the beach is done for the day.
For the Dog
PAWSOME rating: 80%
Dogs sleep inside here, with the rest of the family. The garden is fenced to at least 6 feet (1.8 m), so it's a safe place to sniff around, and a welcome basket from PAWDINKUM is waiting when you arrive. The national park beaches are off limits, so our Leash-free Beaches and Parks guide shows where your dog can run.
Summer Here, Winter Here
In summer, the days look after themselves. It's the beach in the morning and the pool in the afternoon, with chips and gravy from the milk bar, and the BBQ going as the sun drops off the west deck. The summer school holidays book out early, so plan ahead.
In winter, it's a wild beach walk in coats, the gas fire on upstairs, the firepit lit out the front, and an afternoon at the Peninsula Hot Springs to warm through.
Good to Know
Sandy Shores is for extended family groups only, up to 10 adults plus children, and isn't available for parties or events. There's room for four cars inside the electric gate, and no parking on the street. Exterior security cameras record during stays. Short Stay Certificate No. STRA0251/18.