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marlborough
Visit a chosen land where warmth,
hospitality, fine wines and gourmet foods delight visitors all
year round.
Marlborough has a beautiful varied landscape of golden tussock
downland, rich green beech forests, wide braided rivers and stark
lofty mountains. Blenheim is a town of sunshine, flowers and
wine. Picton is a pretty port and an ideal base for tramping and
sea kayaking among the deep, finger-like waterways stretching out
to Cook Strait.
This convoluted system of drowned river valleys that form the
Marlborough Sounds is matched by an inland water playground on
wide braided rivers. The most popular of these inland waterways
is the epitome of an accessible, reliable, and entertaining
backcountry rafting experience - the Clarence River.
The Clarence River is a classic 200 km, 3 - 4 day, wilderness
journey from the mountains to the sea. Road access is from Hanmer
Springs over Jack’s Pass to the put in at the Acheron River
junction. The river passes alternatively through spectacular
gorges and the open valleys of several high country sheep
stations, with rapids in the Grade 2 - 3 range. This is an
unforgettable long distance whitewater experience, which can be
arranged with commercial operators in Hanmer Springs, Blenheim
and Murchison.
The Wairau River has a fast, technical section in its upper
reaches and is accessed via the private Rainbow Road. The Lower
Wairau has Grade 2 rapids with put in points along S.H.63 and a
take out at the S.H.1 bridge at Tuamarina. This is a pleasant
jaunt for inexperienced paddlers as the river bubbles along its
braided shingle bed close to the road.
The Awatere flows parallel with the Inland Kaikoura Range and has
a good kayaking section in the lower catchment. Put in at Medway
Bridge just above the Medway Stream confluence and take out at
S.H.1. The upper Awatere River passes through Molesworth Station,
New Zealand’s largest sheep run that can be explored by 4WD
tours from Hanmer Springs.
Being on the water is the best way to experience Marlborough's
labyrinth of sounds and its numerous parallel braided river
systems. It’s a paddler’s paradise in one of the
sunniest corners of New Zealand.
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