REDWOODTOWN & surrounds An outdoor explorer’s paradise

South of Blenheim’s central business district lies Redwoodtown and Witherlea, an area rich with not only boutique accommodations, eateries, shopping and thriving local businesses but also a wide range of parks, trails and heritage sites.

Harling Park is a six-hectare reserve named after former Blenheim mayor S. P. Harling, has a Japanese themed garden that was built as part of a sister-city project that represents the relationship between Blenheim and Tendo and Otari in Japan. Opened in 2005, the park features a water- boards. It even boasts an area of sealed cycle track where kids can practise riding on a ‘road’ and obeying traffic rules while in a safe environment. ple stroll through rolling meadows. The Wither Hill Farm Park is one of the jewels in regions crown providing an exceptional range of activity options across its 1,100ha of working farm. There are trails for every level of fitness, starting with the Rifle Range Trail through to the traverse of Mt Vernon. The recognisable backdrop of Marlborough consists of golden hills, panoramic plains, ridgelines and the ever-epic snow top of Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku. fall, landscaped Japanese garden, pagoda and a pond for locals to enjoy.

Towards the West lies Kartsport Marlborough, one of the fastest growing Kart clubs in the country. A fun and safe way to spend a few hours, the club welcomes visitors and newbies, both young and old. Every day is ‘practice day’ and the club even has a bar/ cafe to unwind in after a day’s racing.

Oliver Park provides a diverse range of activities with a flying fox as its main attraction. Its range of sports fields ensures ample room to kick a ball around on or fly a kite, and the play equipment will keep younger ones occupied while the older kids can practice on their bikes, scooters or skate-

The home of Marlborough’s agricultural and pastoral shows, the A&P showgrounds caters to the regions sporting needs and plays host to the renowned Marlborough Farmers Market every Sunday morning. Take the opportunity to chat with friendly stall holders about how their products are created, discover delicious recipes and browse the huge range of the freshest seasonal fruit, vegetables, produce, and artisan creations that Marlborough has to offer all while supporting its local businesses.

Get to know the region by exploring the extensive walking tracks, golden trails and native bush walks. Open one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, ventures can be as challenging or as relaxed as you choose, they can include a picnic with a premium wine from one of the surrounding cellar doors, mountain biking excursions, dog walking or a sim-

The Wither Hills Farm Park is enjoyed by thousands of locals and visitors each year with over 60 kms of walking tracks and mountain bike trails on offer. Easy trails run around the base of the Park with intermediate and more advanced trails on the steeper slopes. There are a range of different access points to choose from and the Rotary Lookout track is definitely one for the list of experiences on offer. First developed by Blenheim South Rotary in the early 1970’s the shelter provides excellent views of Blenheim and the Wairau Plains.

The Taylor Dam cycle track has been voted one of the best cycleways in the country and when done in a loop consists of 22km of stunning evolving scenery from the towns CBD to its Dam Reserve. The Taylor River has long been a key part of the town’s identity and provides plenty of spots to sit and take in the views. An idyllic ride, it takes you through to Taylor Dam which has become a sanctuary for native wildlife. Built in 1965, the Dam is also the starting point for an epic drive through Taylor Pass Road and across to Bridge Gully and into the Awatere Valley. However you choose to explore the region make sure the suburbs of Redwoodtown and Witherlea are on your list of things to see and do as lying amongst the stunning landscape is whole world to explore for people of all ages!