Marlborough Wither Hills Farm Park © Only Marlborough RIGHT: Ōmaka Aviation Heritage Centre © RMP Brown
Blenheim
Marlborough Sounds
MARLBOROUGH MUSEUM
TOP TIP: Get free entry to the
Detailing the area’s history with an emphasis on its wine industry, there’s a mock 1900s village and several carefully curated exhibits. Entry is free on Saturdays.
Marlborough Museum during the school holidays, simply show your Blenheim Riverside Railway tickets to museum staff.
BLENHEIM RIVERSIDE RAILWAY
MAKANA CONFECTIONS Did someone say chocolate? Tease your taste buds with free-flowing samples and watch how bespoke chocolates are made. Warning, you’ll buy the whole shop.
Sitting adjacent to Blenheim Museum and a big hit with kids, skirt the riverbank on a miniature train to Blenheim, Ōmaka Airfield and Aviation Museum. The train runs on sporadic weekends and school holidays – check their website for schedules.
THE HOBBIT BARREL RUN Tumble down Pelorus River just like the hobbits, but instead of barrels, you’ll navigate the eddies in an inflatable tandem canoe. Daily tours depart Havelock at 9am and 1pm.
NYDIA TRACK Forge a route through farmland and lush native forest on this two-day adventure. The Marlborough Sounds’ views are simply the best, and the hike includes an overnight stop at the gorgeous Nydia Bay DOC campground.
MILLS BAY MUSSELS TASTING ROOM Producer of premium New Zealand Greenshell™ Mussels, you don’t want to miss a session in the tasting room, located in the Havelock Marina. No booking required.
See Map Section - pages 109 to 122
ŌMAKA CLASSIC CARS Come and marvel at over 100 cars from the 50s to the 80s, all in mint condition. Huge exhibition halls are paired with an on-site workshop. Conveniently located next to the Ōmaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Open Friday to Sunday 11am-3.30pm
FLY A WWII FIGHTER JET Get down to Ōmaka Aviation Heritage Centre for excellent World War displays, memorabilia from Sir Peter Jackson’s own plane collection and vintage aircraft joy rides. BLENHEIM TO SPRING CREEK PATHWAY Breathe in countryside air while walking or cycling this 4.6km trail to Spring Creek, a small but charming town with a sprinkling of wine tasting venues and a good pub.
SWEET CREATIONS Blending a café, floristry workshops and baking classes, every experience inside these four walls is a beautiful one. Book early for weekly dessert nights – understandably popular.
WINE BARREL CABINS Rest your head in a giant wine barrel. Nestled between the vines, Sleeping Barrels boast two cosy wooden pods, offering the quirkiest night’s sleep in the Sounds.
DODSON STREET BEER GARDEN For those of us with a penchant for beer, this award-winning Bavarian tavern is housed in Marlborough’s oldest commercial building and pours New Zealand’s largest selection of craft beers.
ARBOUR RESTAURANT Fine dining done right. Set, multi-course menus feature an extensive range of ever-changing local producers, winning the establishment Two Hats.
SS WAVERLEY Trace the flat and family-friendly shoreline of the Wairau Lagoons, past various seabirds, to the enormous rusty hulk of the SS Waverley. Most spectacular at sunset.
produce that Marlborough has to offer. Every Sunday from 9am to 12 noon at the A&P Showgrounds.
TUAMARINA CEMETERY Drive 10km north of Blenheim to see a memorial to the Wairau affray in 1843: the first conflict between the Māori and Europeans following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. WITHER HILLS FARM PARK Offering a good range of walking and mountain biking tracks on a working sheep and cattle farm, this serene rolling landscape is minutes from central Blenheim. The Covernent Loop Track to Mount Vernon is a 7.1km loop trail soaking up the best of the 422m-high peak. Allow two to three hours to complete. Alternatively, the Mt Vernon Traverse is a challenging mountain bike trail.
SEDDON This small town south of Blenheim is close to the Awatere Valley wine region and the striking Grassmere salt works.
MARLBOROUGH FARMERS’ MARKET Do as the locals do
WARD Nearby Ward is loaded with
and pick up the freshest seasonal
history. Check out Ward Beach.
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