.
The settlement at Clarence, like many on the Kaikoura Coast, was originally developed for the building of the
railway along the coast. During World War 2 Clarence was the end of the
line from Picton and passengers had to travel south from there to Hundalee
by service car. With the unsealed and winding road most of the way it was
not a comfortable journey.
The road follows the coast for another 35km (22 miles). A long straight
stretch has sand dunes on the right and 6 kilometres from Clarence there
are three deep dips in the road which our family used to enjoy and call the
switchback.
Travelling along this stretch of the road on a clear day you may see the
North Island across the water.
At Kekerengu you may wish to take a break for a meal or a tea or coffee at
the attractive restaurant, The Store. It has won the Casio Award for the
best restaurant in Marlborough.
Another reason to pause is Winterhome Garden opposite The Store, and
signposted from the main road. The rose gardens are beautiful and from the
avocado orchard the view across the Pacific is magnificent.
On the right a little further on is the coloured stone church of St
Oswald's built in 1927 by Mr and Mrs Charles Murray in memory of their son
Charles.
Shortly after that the road leaves the coast and the next settlement is
Ward, named after the Rt Hon Sir Joseph Ward. a New Zealand Prime Minister
twice in the twentieth century - 1906-1911 and 1928-1930. Watch on the
main road for two places for a snack or a meal. You can choose between
the Flaxbourne Tearooms or the East Coast Inn.
The road runs along the shore of Lake Elterwater where there is a rest
area. Soon there is a view of the Grassmere Saltworks where seawater is
evaporated from wide shallow ponds.
Watch now for the signpost on the right indicating the road to Marfells
Beach at Clifford Bay. This is at present a beautiful, quiet beach but
Clifford Bay has been considered as the site for a terminal instead of Picton for
the ferry connecting the North and South Islands. That plan is on hold at
present.
Seddon is the centre for the Awatere District. Like Ward it is named after
Richard John Seddon, a New Zealand Prime Minister from 1893-1906. He and
Ward who came after him as Prime Minister are honoured particularly in this
area because the large Flaxbourne Estate was divided into small holdings
during their premierships.
Until November 2007 to cross the Awatere River you had to wait for the traffic lights to give
you entry to the one way bridge which was a combined road-rail bridge first
opened to traffic in 1902. The bridge was built by the Christchurch firm, Scott
Bros Engineering.
A new bridge opened in 2007 to replace this
interesting old double decker structure where the railway line was above the
road bridge.
Watch for the signpost indicating the view of Mount Tapuaenuku - the
highest point in the Kaikoura Ranges and an impressive sight on a clear day.
From this point on you will see huge areas of vineyard as Marlborough is
one of New Zealand's biggest wine-producing areas.
On the remaining 25 km (15 mile) stretch to Blenheim you may choose to
pause at two historic cottages. The first is Oak Tree cob cottage near
Seddon, and the second is the Riverlands Cob Cottage, a pioneer museum
beside the main road near Blenheim. Between these you drive over Dashwood
Pass and soon after the summit you once again see the sea as you look over
Cloudy Bay. Cloudy Bay seems an odd name for the stretch of beach outside
Blenheim which has among the country's highest annual hours of sunshine.
Blenheim
Blenheim is an attractively laid out town. For a picnic stop you could go
to Pollard Park north of the town centre. It has rhododendrons, rock
gardens, rose gardens, and ponds, as well as tennis courts, a croquet green
and a golf course.
If you want to eat in a restaurant you can choose to have Kiwi food or to
patronise the good quality Chinese food on offer or eat at a restaurant at
one of the many wineries, many of which are around Renwick, a small town 10
km (6 miles) west of Blenheim.
Wine tasting
Most visitors to Blenheim choose to visit several of the wineries before
leaving the area. On the second weekend in February the annual Marlborough
Wine and Food Festival draws thousands of visitors to the town. If you are
thinking of attending the festival you will need to book your accommodation
early as all beds in Blenheim and the surrounding area are booked well in
advance.
Blenheim to Picton
Easy travelling takes you to Picton in less than half an hour unless you
stop at the rest area beside the memorial to those killed in the Wairau
Incident. Misunderstandings between Maori chiefs and some surveyors from
Nelson led to a clash here with loss of life.
The town of Picton, the main South Island port linking the South with the
North Island, has grown up as a centre catering for those involved in the
transport industry, for families farming down the Sounds and for those
involved in tourism, both staff and holiday-makers.
It is small enough to be explored on foot and a walk along the foreshore
looking out at Queen Charlotte Sound's sparkling water and bushclad hills
provides a pleasant change after hours of travelling.
