“IT IS THAT TYPE OF PLACE WHERE YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO LEAVE.”
noir and, of course, Marlborough’s darling, sauvignon blanc.
The Two Rivers (named after the Awatere and Wairau rivers) six-litre bottles of rosé are a firm favourite for wine festivals. Wadworth says rosé is the new hot thing in NZ wine and it is increasingly popular. If you’re a wine lover who would like to learn more beyond the vine, private appointments can be arranged at The Wine Studio.
Wine tasting eventually had to give way to dinner, and where better than Blenheim hot-spot Scotch. Why ‘Scotch’? I ask, considering the region is unashamedly a wine-led destination. The answer is simple: it was called Scotch years ago and has kept the name despite different owners. Once Blenheim folk refer to a place, then that name sticks, no matter what it becomes. Fair enough.
The wine list at Scotch is nine pages long, including wines from France, Germany, Australia, USA, South Africa and Spain. But I’m a loyal Marlborough sauvignon blanc girl, so straight to the local savvy list, which has 22 options to ponder.
Clockwise from top left: The swing chairs at Cloudy Bay; Mountain biking the Queen Charlotte Track; The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre; Hiking the Queen Charlotte Track; A bike tour at Brancott Estate; Alfresco dining at Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen.
Arrgh, the angst in deciding which one! In the end I went with a Dog Point 2019 and savoured every drop.
Our favourite dishes of the evening were the lamb rump with beetroot and mint, grilled asparagus with avocado and balsamic, and the dish that got Mr Irish’s eyes twinkling, thrice-cooked crispy potatoes with aioli. They were outstanding.
SPREAD YOUR WINGS
Our accommodation for two nights was at the Hillsfield House Bed & Breakfast in Renwick – a little home away from home with every single detail attended to. It is that type of place where you really don’t want to leave, and start considering how you can achieve it yourself one day.
Freshly baked croissants, fruit salad, homemade jams and a top selection of teas and coffee greeted us each day. And after a day’s adventure, there was homemade shortbread, ginger biscuits and carrot cake set out for you to enjoy with a much needed cuppa. I knew I was in Marlborough, but the design touches in every room took me to the French countryside. Travelling really does feel real when you stay in a gorgeous place such as this.
Even the most avid wine lover needs a break from wine, and the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre delivers more than looking at a few war planes. After a sound sleep (in our elegant four-poster bed), we visited this incredible centre, and wished we had more time there.
Aside from making award-winning films, Sir Peter Jackson has been an aviation lover since he was a boy and has amassed an impressive private collection. The ‘Knights of the Sky’ World War I exhibition is Jackson’s and in true Wingnut Films and Weta Workshop style, the exhibits seduce you into a storyline that leaves you begging for more.
The separate (but also worth every cent) World War II exhibition ‘Dangerous Skies’ is also a mix of private collectors and remodelled fighter planes. The history behind each plane’s story is a mix of admiration, surprise, and sorrow. The
eight-minute film of the Stalingrad experience includes surround sound and laser projectors to really give you a sense of how brutal the battles were.
The ‘Red Baron’ fighter plane and exhibit is especially interesting, as are the exhibits on the female aces.
For the real enthusiast, who has about $2,000, you can be a passenger and experience a joy flight in one of the working planes. On the day of our visit, a newly restored WWII Yakovlev Yak-3 plane we were looking at in the exhibit was being flown that afternoon.
One lovely snippet we learnt was that the mannequin faces in the exhibits were modelled on the Heritage Centre’s volunteers and employees. A nice community touch.
I’m not particularly interested in war planes per se, but the history and the memorabilia had me as soon as I scanned my COVID Tracer app at the door. It’s a must-see for visitors to Blenheim. PEDAL POWER
Cycling around the vineyards visiting cellar doors on a beautiful sunny day is hard to beat. Part of the package staying at Hillsfield House is a self-guided tour on a bicycle of the local vineyards. We opted for the romantic tandem bike.
Armed with our tandem and a map we set off first to a delicious lunch at the family-run Wairau River Wines Cellar Door & Restaurant. There I enjoyed possibly the nicest chicken salad I have ever had: poached free-range breast with soba noodles, cucumber, beans, eggplant, mint, sesame, soft egg with a ginger, soy and shallot dressing.
For his part, Mr Irish devoured the chilli salt prawns with cos, soy beans, cherry tomatoes, cashews, sprouts, mint and lemon aioli. A crisp Wairau River Estate 2020 Sauvignon Blanc accompanied my chicken salad and Mr Irish enjoyed a perfectly chilled 2020 pinot gris also from the Wairau River Estate range.
A little exercise post-lunch was desired, so cycling through the vines with the infamous head-on nor’wester blew any lunchtime wine fog out immediately.
From one wine family to another, we arrived shortly afterwards to the much smaller yet very friendly (with great music) Bladen Wines Cellar Door. They might be small, but they are award winners, with a pretty cottage garden to relax in. The photos on the wall indicated a family who works (and plays) together. We left with a fresh fruit-flavoured 2019 pinot gris.
A couple of other stops at more enticing cellar doors and it was time to call it a day for the bike.
OLD-WORLD CHARM
It is not every day that you can sit at an international chef’s bench in their kitchen with a glass of local bubbles (care of Hunter’s Wines) and discuss and taste a new menu, but that is how we were introduced to Harvest Restaurant’s new menu by chef Toby Stuart.
Stuart has had tutelage from Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay and has worked for the Roux family in Britain. With so many names connected to Michelin stars, we knew we were in for something special. What makes Harvest different is the cooking system. Stuart has secured one of only 10 charcoal-fired Mibrasa ovens in the country – and certainly the only one in Marlborough.
He spent a couple of months in Uruguay charcoal cooking with the locals and has brought this knowledge back to Marlborough. The result is a unique flavour with a hint of smoke that really enhances the food. The charcoal he uses is completely sustainable NZ and Australian hardwood, which burns clean.
We feasted on shellfish such as the local huge storm clams and green-lipped mussels. Stuart’s addition of delicious sauces, dressings and herbs take them to the next level. Any leftover sauce was lovingly mopped up with Stuart’s buckwheat sourdough, affectionately called ‘Mr Bojangles’.
What came next was quite simply out of the box. Imagine a cut head of cos lettuce drizzled in special oils then charred in the oven, finished with crispy capers, anchovy and rosemary vinaigrette. Or cauliflower steaks rubbed in curry spices, baked dry-style and served with grapes, coriander and slivers of almonds. The discerning traveller can enjoy this charcoal cooking experience by dining at Harvest, or as part of the new packages of The Marlborough Lodge.
The lodge was originally a convent in the town of Blenheim, which was split into five pieces in
“WHEN A POD OF DOLPHINS COME TO PRANCE AND DANCE AROUND YOU, THE EARLY HOUR IS FORGOTTEN.”
order to relocate to its current site within 16 acres of manicured gardens, tennis courts, swimming pool and a vineyard. The old chapel is now a bar that leads out to the ‘grand lawn’ complete with outdoor fireplace and seating.
The front of the lodge has just had a big deck added, which will be connected to a yet-to-be-built orangerie to offer patrons outdoor summer dining.
The Marlborough Lodge has the old-world charm of yesteryear, yet it is very much in the 21st century with its recent renovations. NZ artwork graces the walls of both guest lounges and private suites.
The management team have an exciting vision and it will surely earn its place as a destination experience very quickly.
If you are after simpler fare and fancy a beverage other than wine, The Goodhome Gastropub in Blenheim town is a good option. Everyone’s favourite pub grub of burgers, steak, seafood chowder, ribs and fish’n’chips are on the menu along with a surprisingly good selection of gins.
DOLPHIN DANCE
There’s an early start the next morning at Picton for a transfer on the very efficient and accommodating Cougar Lines Water Taxi to Ship Cove in the Queen Charlotte Sound, which was the start of our 17km hike to Furneaux Lodge.
Early mornings on holiday can be tough, but when a pod of dolphins come to prance and dance around you in these exquisite waters, suddenly the early hour is forgotten.
Our hike took us through lush bush with panoramic views, crystal clear bubbling streams and the odd unexpected visitor. Three western weka wandered out of their hidey-hole to say g’day mid-way through our walk. They were quite friendly and very curious as to our food supplies.
Bellbirds filled the air with their song and bid us farewell as we left the track for a much needed cold beer at Furneaux Lodge. This is a popular spot for walkers, mountain bikers and general visitors to the sounds alike.
A little hop across the water to Mahana Lodge followed our cold beer. Our host and chef for the night, David Woodley, met us with a mahana welcome and showed us to the Captain Cook Suite. There is no getting away from this particular sailor, due to the historical importance of this area during his visits to NZ. Our bed was so comfortable that we considered booking in for another night. The nearby river offered a soothing lullaby even for the most sleep challenged.
A highlight of the stay was dining at Woodley’s ‘Chef’s Table’. “Be there at 6pm, and don’t be late,” was the instruction that ensured all seven guests at the table that night were ready for Woodley’s explanation of his menu.
As if the day wasn’t magical enough, we finished it with a very short walk to Mahana’s own glow-worm grotto and stood in the dark, breathing in the pure bush air and enjoying the utter stillness bar the gentle lapping of the waters into the bay.