Salmon fishing in the snow fed Clarence River
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A country garden ramble through some of Marlborough’s most glorious gardens.
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Horse trekking in spectacular back country trails.
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A guided 4WD tour of Molesworth Station, an historic high country station.
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Visiting the unique solar salt works set on 1800 hectares of lakes at Lake Grassmere.
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Soaking up the charm of a rural country homestay or farmstay; dining on freshly grown farm produce and local wines.
For detailed activity listings visit Sights and Activities
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South of Blenheim along State Highway 1 you will find some of the region’s most inspiring scenery; a vast and diverse landscape, steeped in Maori and colonial history, with opportunities to explore and enjoy at every turn.
The Awatere Valley is heartland Marlborough; rising westward from Blenheim to the region’s highest peak, Mount Tapue-o-Uenuku, central to Maori legend and an icon to all Marlburians. It lured another legend, Sir Edmund Hillary, on his first mountain climb, a pathway that ultimately took him to Everest.
The east coast of Marlborough has long been valued by Maori travellers for its abundant seafood and ability to grow varied crops. Early European settlers discovering this came to the area in the early 1840’s. Flaxbourne Station at Lake Grassmere is recognised as the birthplace for New Zealand’s sheep farming industry, the success of which inspired landowners to reach far into the high country and down the coastline to Kekerengu.
Farming styles and land use in the Awatere has seen many changes in the last 150 years. Today the land produces unique quality wines and fine merino wools. Travelling south the route takes you through rolling farmland and vineyards flanked by rugged mountains.
Stop a while at the rural townships of Seddon and Ward where you’ll find local dining specialities, regional wines and authentic local crafts. Relax in the warmth of local accommodation, explore stunning country garden estates or take a high country horse trek. Camp and swim at Marfells Beach and discover the seal colony in the untamed isolation of ward Beach.
Further a field past wide-open seascapes and rolling dunes discover fine cuisine and coffee at Kekerengu, where the foothills of the seaward Kaikoura range plummet to the sea. As the road ribbons its way along dramatic coastal flanks you’ll find secluded hideaways and home stays – the perfect base for fishing, exploring the local arts and crafts trail, venturing on a back country safari into New Zealand’s largest farm, or simply taking in the magnificent views.