Ever wanted to spend a night with the little penguins?

Ever wanted to sleep with the penguins? Well not sleep exactly, that may be an exaggeration on my part given the amount of noise they make…. You might not actually get much sleep but there is something pretty cool about waking up during the night to the chatter of a few noisy housemates.

There is a magical place in The Catlin's that offers you this incredible experience. It also offers you picture perfect views of an isolated sandy beach, dolphins frolicking in the surf and a short stroll from where you are staying to the actual beach – I say stroll it’s actually more a few paces.

Porpoise Bay is situated at the bottom end of The Catlin's, it’s formed by the long crescent of beach that is separated from Curio Bay by a grassy peninsula, which is now a campsite.

At the bottom end of New Zealand, it’s usually quiet around these parts, except for a few weeks in late December, January, you will largely have the place to yourself with just a few locals and smattering of tourists about. The purpose-built Bach (New Zealand's holiday homes) I stayed at was true luxury, complete with a bed you could dreamily sink into and never get up from, walk in shower bathroom, and a comfortable sofa for taking in those views or curling up with a good book if the weather turns (which it’s prone to doing in these parts). There is also a full kitchen and dining table available to knock up some stellar meals – given there isn’t much in the way of restaurants nearby it’s best to be ready to self-cater.

The accommodation, a bed you literally do sink into with a view to match

And then there is the covered terrace area, which offers wonderful views across the bay, perfect for watching the small hectors dolphins play. Hectors are the world’s smallest, and a pod frequents this bay and spends many hours surfing the waves just short distances from the surfers braving the waters. It's quite a sight to sit out with your morning coffee and witness these rare mammals playing a short distance from you – binoculars are provided and are handy, but they are easily visible to the naked eye. I mentioned coffee – because you will need it.

Sleep is something of a miracle because as the sun sets and darkness descends your fellow guests begin to make their way home. And a rowdy bunch they are too, they love to chitter chatter and shout at one another. Regardless of the late hour, considerate they are not. I spotted my first little Blue Penguin by accident. I knew they were around; we were warned beforehand by our hosts and to be honest the smell in the garden upon arrival kind of gave it away, but it was still a surprise to look out of the window into the darkness and see the little fellow standing there. He looked around to get his bearings and then scurried away under our deck. He was soon followed by several others. Some stopped for a while, others ducked down making a run for it. We kept the lights low and ourselves quiet, respectful that we didn’t want to cause them any disturbance. They needed to find their nests, reacquaint, and rest up. Early the following morning I heard them make their move to leave once again for another long day at sea fishing, good luck little guys see you tonight I whispered, before turning over in my super comfy bed to catch up on my sleep.

Keep an eye out for my blog featuring ideas of what to do when staying in The Catlins