3 February 2017 - Waterlea Racecourse, Blenheim, Marlborough

We left our busy little camp beside the Brown River long after most of our fellow campers had moved on. Chris spent a good part of the morning drawing water up from the river with a bucket at the end of a rope, rinsing, shampooing and rinsing again, our motorhome scarred from the previous day’s onslaught. Alas he was unable to climb up onto the roof, so for now the solar panels and satellite dome must remain covered in a film of salty grime.

Views from the Wairau Lagoon to Wither Hills

I had wanted to stop at Pelorous Bridge and redo some of the lovely little walks that are on offer, then again wander about quaint little Havelock, but the rain continued to fall and stopping did not seem to be an attractive option. From Havelock we drove south to Renwick, an almost flat run through a wide valley, grapes and garlic the obvious crops as we neared Renwick. There we turned north again to Blenheim and came through to the racecourse, a well tried and true camping spot available to NZMCA members. Unfortunately the tariff has gone up to $10 per van per night, but there is now a dump, and a more conveniently placed water tap, so I guess all of that costs and needs to be covered by the users.

It was a delight to wake to blue skies this morning and the hope we could spend a full day doing fun stuff, apart from doing a small load of laundry. Mind you, doing laundry and hanging it out in the sunny breeze makes for domestic happiness.

We headed early into town and caught the 10am session of one of the latest movies, “Manchester by the Sea”. To say we “enjoyed” it would not be strictly true; it is a dark tale, but well told and well-acted, to be recommended, but enjoyed ?  

Across the wetlands toward Cloudy Bay

After lunching late, we headed out to Riverland, on Highway One, the way to Seddon and Ward, previously the way to Christchurch in pre-Kaikoura-earthquake days. We turned up toward the Wairoa Lagoon and walked out across the wetlands to the wreck of the S. S. Waverley. The signage is appalling so it was not until we returned “home’” that I was able to find anything more about this rusting hulk. Apparently about eighty years ago, the Waverley was towed from Wellington by the SS Wairau to the mouth of the Wairau River where she was to be sunk to form a breakwater. Before being scuttled, she was swept up the channel in a flood to where she now lies, in the Wairau Lagoons.

The wreck of the S S Waverley

The three kilometre path across the flat reserve to the wreck starts with a small pathway between the settling ponds of the sewerage works. But like all developments like this these days, there is little to remind one of the less pleasant aspects of the process. 

Here there are 3,000 hectares of water, shoreline and adjoining land now regarded as the most important coastal wetland between Golden Bay and Canterbury. Along the lagoon banks there is evidence of past residence when the early Maori used this as a productive food bowl. Moa once populated the area before they were annihilated by the first occupants of this land of ours.  Today it is a breeding ground for birdlife and other wetland creatures, but alas, the moa are well and truly gone.

It was hot and windy out walking, but exercise much appreciated. Returning to the racecourse, we stopped off at the Scottish restaurant for ice-creams, shopped at the supermarket, filled our diesel tanks and on our return found the washing well sun dried, a first for quite some time.