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General Information
Blenheim is the largest town in the Marlborough District, with a population of just over 25,000. It is the main centre for the Marlborough Sounds and the Marlborough District council is located here.
Blenheim is the heart for New Zealand’s most famous wine making region, Marlborough. The annual Marlborough Wine and Food festival is held in Blenheim on the second Saturday in February each year. It is a showcase for the region’s great wine, which draws people from all over the world. There are a number of wineries located on the towns edges, with many more just a short drive away.
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Riverside Park, Blenheim, Marlborough
The Marlborough District Council is developing Riverside Park in Blenheim around the Taylor River, allowing access to the river and the start of the developing Taylor River Walkway, for all to enjoy
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Attractions
Blenheim’s big attraction is its vast array of wineries and no visit is complete without a trip to the vineyards. Take a self-guided drive, a coach or a horse ride to savour the experience.
Blenheim is famous for its Chardonnays, Rieslings and floral Sauvignon Blanc.
Blenheim is blessed with many attractive parks and the focal point of the town is the wonderful Seymour Square. It is a feast of colour, with its well-tended flowerbeds surrounding the stone memorial clock tower and cooling fountain. At night the fountain comes to life, with beautiful colours emitted from the water. Near the square is a relic of the town’s early and violent history Blenkinsopp’s cannon, originally from the whaling ship Caroline.
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In the centre of town is Market Place where shoppers and visitors can sit and take time out in between their retail therapy and window shopping…
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Pollard Park is another great park, which is just a few minutes walk from town. The winding pathways lead you through trees and gardens of the contoured grounds, through which meanders a spring-fed creek. A children’s playground and picnic area help to make this an ideal place to lunch and simply relax.
The central focus of the Blenheim shopping centre is The Forum, with its historic bandstand, which provides an occasional amphitheatre
for a wide range of performing arts.
Blenheim also features the Brayshaw Museum Park, which preserves the districts pioneering endeavour with an historic village showing colonial buildings in a recreated street. There is the world-renowned vintage farm machinery collection, where faithfully restored tractors and other machinery are displayed.
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Riverside Railway, Blenheim, Marlborough
Blenheim Riverside Railway is a 4.5km narrow gauge (610 mm) miniature railway…
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Brayshaw Museum Park
Brayshaw Museum Park is world renowned for its display of vintage farming machinery and faithfully restored tractors…
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River Cruise, Blenheim, Marlborough
This group were having a merry time, sipping on chilled wine, beer and other beverages while nibbling on tit bits as they did a river cruise on the scow….
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Shopping
The central focus of the Blenheim shopping centre is The Forum where surrounding Modern shops and cafés give the shopping heart of Blenheim an open market place atmosphere.
There are a wide range of shops featuring everything from works of the many artists and crafts from people who live in the area and imported high fashion stores.
You will find thriving cafes, pubs and world-class restaurants featuring Marlborough’s finest cuisines and wines.
The Millennium Art Gallery displays the best of local, national and international arts.
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Seymour Square, Blenheim, Marlborough
Seymour Square is only 2 minutes walk from Blenheim town centre and provides an ideal setting for a picnic, stroll or relaxing…
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Pollard Park and Waterlea Gardens
Pollard Park and Waterlea Gardens is a 24.6ha of wooded parkland with tennis courts, croquet green, a 3.5km fitness loop, extensive playground, and the Blenheim nine holes Golf Course…
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Activities
The Wairau River and its tributaries are a focus for recreation. The upper reaches are swift and are ideal for kayaking. One of the most popular recreational activities on the river is trout fishing, and good catches of brown and rainbow trout can be made quite close to Blenheim. Mt Richmond Forest Park lying north of the river is a popular hiking area. A network of walkways on the Wither Hills behind Blenheim provides magnificent views over the town to the Wairau Plains, Cloudy Bay and beyond to the North Island.
Driving around the Wairau Valley which is set against a backdrop of forest clad mountains,
will take you through some of the most attractive farming and horticultural country in New Zealand.
With its vast array of Wineries, many are open for wine tasting, and some are open for lunch. There are also breweries and distilleries, craft studios, olive groves and private gardens to see.
North of Blenheim are the bays and beaches of the Marlborough Sounds; while to the southwest is the Rainbow Ski field.
At Pollard Park you will find, a playground, fitness trail, tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course and croquet greens.
The Marlborough Sports & Events Centre has indoor and outdoor pools, gymnasium, rock climbing wall, indoor sports centre and squash courts.
Maori Translation of Blenheim
The Māori name given to Bleheim is Wāiharakeke.
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Blenheim Golf Course
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