We all set sail on the Bluebridge Friday afternoon for a weekend of walking around Blenheim. Some had cars for further travel and the rest joined together to hire a van. Linda was at the wheel with Mark navigating. 13 stayed at our accommodation which was a very large house with 5 bathrooms, bedrooms and beds scattered throughout. Rob and Sue were at a motel just around the corner.

Our first day was a flat walk around the Wairau Lagoon. We started on the Kotuku Walk which after skirting around a large paddock followed the Opaoa River. We climbed a stopbank to see the river where the track along the top was hardly visible as the grass was so long. It was a bit of a trip hazard so most chose to walk the farm track. Shame, as it is very pretty. This whole area contains the Marlborough Council Waste Water Treatment Ponds and the lower Oxidation Ponds were full of birdlife, swans being the dominant bird we saw. This track led down to the Wairau Bar where we stopped for morning tea and photos before heading along the lagoon to the shipwreck of the TSS Waverley. Built in Auckland in 1883, it had been a coastal trader. In 1928 it was decommissioned and stripped and towed to the mouth of the Wairau River to be used as a breakwater, but mother nature had other ideas. Before they could scuttle it, floodwaters swept the boat up the channel to where it lies today. An interesting place to have lunch before walking around the lagoons, some on the longest boardwalks I have seen to form a loop walk back to our vehicles and a coffee at Mitre 10 in Blenheim.

The second day saw us head into Wither Hills Farm Park where there is a multitude of tracks, some very steep. We had a group photo at the bottom before the faster walkers broke away and scampered up the hill. The rest of us went at a more sedate pace through trees and up to Rotary Lookout. The views opening up were rather lovely. From there we were out in the open, climbing past the twin tanks and on to the Taylor Dam Lookout. The highest point was a seat looking over Blenheim and surrounds. We had lunch up the top enjoying the views before following the Quail Stream Tracks back to the bottom and then along the Lower Farm Track back to our vehicles where the faster group had been waiting an hour for us. We had expected to be waiting for them but it turned out we had done the same walk. We decided to adjourn to the pub for a drink, so off we went to the Cork and Keg in Renwick, a lovely old English Pub where we sat at a big table outside under umbrellas.

We had a fun weekend with lots of meals out and happy hours. Even better, we won the Netball on Saturday night.

Monday, some members went for a walk up the Snout Track in Picton while waiting for their ferry. Can’t keep good walkers down!!

Leader – Judith

Walkers – Janice, Denise, Brenda, Anne-Mette, Anna, Lynn, Linda, Mark, Helen, Rob, Sue, Sheila, Nichole, and Jeannine