Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Exploring starts with expo
With overseas travel off the cards, many will be planning summer, it’s the best time to travel New Zealand’s own backyard.
Even the region’s tourism boss has places left in Marlborough to explore.
Destination Marlborough general manager Jacqui Lloyd said she hoped to get to the Molesworth Station for the first time, and hopefully, walk the Nydia Track.
‘‘I think that would be quite impressive, down in South Marlborough and I want to see a little bit more around the Havelock and Pelorus area,’’ Lloyd said.
‘‘I haven’t done the Nydia Track yet and I’d like to do that. And then I always like to finish it off with mussels in Havelock.’’
Lloyd said a highlight every summer for her, was doing a bike tour to local wineries.
‘‘A lot of them [cellar doors] are open already and a lot are opening in time for Labour Weekend and a lot of them have taken the time over lockdown and the last couple of months, to do new and exciting things with their cellar door experiences,’’ she said.
‘‘There’s lots of places now that have got big bean bags and outdoor areas and some of them are bringing food trucks, and things for Sunday and Saturday afternoons, so there’s lots of really cool experiences for people to get out to.’’
In order to showcase what Marlborough had to offer, the team at Destination Marlborough had been brainstorming ways to physically show locals which operators were in the region.
Through this brainstorming, they decided to put on a tourism expo, where operators in the region could showcase what they had to offer under one roof at the same time.
‘‘It’s a consumer show really, it’s a bit of an expo so that each of them will have a space so that they can dress up and do with what they like,’’ Lloyd said.
‘‘It’s really an opportunity for people to come through and find out more about the great operators and product that’s available within the region so that they can over summer know how they can plan to bring their friends and family, or just themselves to go out and do things that perhaps they haven’t really thought about.’’
Operators would have different deals on offer at and there would also be some giveaways and spot prizes on the day, Lloyd said.
‘‘I think that we’ve got some great parts of the region that are just starting to bubble up.
‘‘And I think and area that we’re really excited about is down the East Coast, so Ward, Seddon, Marfells Beach, down to Clarence.
‘‘There’s some really cool mountainbiking areas and glamping, and all sorts of little products there,’’ Lloyd said.
The expo would be held at the Convention Centre from 11am to 4pm on November 14.
‘‘Come down after school sport, or before you go to the supermarket and just get a bit more of an idea or an understanding of what’s out there to plan your summer, and your weekends and your long weekends,’’ Lloyd said.