Blenheim – Sometimes things don’t turn out like you hope!

I was really looking forward to this trip, it had been in the pipeline for 6+ months with tickets booked for the Biennial Classic Fighters Airshow at Omaka. Two days before I was due to leave I received an email saying the Airshow had been cancelled due to the bad weather forecast. It was considered too dangerous for many of the planes to make the journey to Blenheim. A good number of the planes were flying in from the North Island which was expecting bad storms – which they did get – cyclone strength winds and torrential rain which caused flooding. I was disappointed but the decision was understandable. This was the beginning of a trip where adaptability was key! Continue reading to the end for more plan fails.

I decided to go ahead with the trip anyway as I had Accommodation booked and hadn’t been on a trip for awhile.

As I arrived earlier than anticipated, I drove through Blenheim to go and have lunch in Picton, a 25 minute drive North of Blenheim. Picton is where the Interislander and Blueridge Ferries depart for the 3 1/2 hour trip up to Wellington. On a calm sunny day the trip through the Marlborough Sounds is beautiful. It can get rough once you’re out of the Sounds if the weather isn’t so good.

I popped into the Seabreeze Cafe & Bar for lunch and had a lovely Salmon Quiche with loads of Salmon – yum! There was a great view overlooking the harbour and marina.

There are plenty of things to do if you want to spend a few days in and around Picton. Here is the link to some Picton Visitor Information.

Blenheim is the gateway to the Wairau Valley Wineries. There are plenty of wine tour options available if this is your want. Information on Wine & Food Tours can be found HERE. I didn’t go on one as I prefer just to wander wherever the fancy takes me. The I-Site, located near the railway station has lots of information and I found the staff very helpful and knowledgeable.

Lake Grassmere

On the road down to Lake Grassmere you go over the Awatere River Bridge. The original bridge opened in 1902 was a “Double-Decker” bridge with trains using the top level and road transport using the lower level. It was a single lane bridge and in use until 2007. I remember driving on this bridge as a kid. The trains still use the upper level, the lower level has been raised and is now part of the Whale Trail connecting Kaikoura and Picton for cyclists and walkers.

Lake Grassmere is a production site for salt. Seawater is pumped in from the Pacific Ocean into various ponds, where warm winds and sun (when it’s not grey and cloudy as on my visit!) evaporate the excess water and the salt is stockpiled and transported out.

Clifford Bay Pier is on the coastal side of Lake Grassmere. It is the abandoned Dominion Salt Wharf, used mainly for fishing now. As you can see it was a grey and stormy day with the threat of rain ever present.

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre has two exhibitions, the first features a collection of WWI aircraft and artifacts, and the second items, planes and stories from WWII. I spent more than two hours looking through both exhibits. Definitely a must for any airshow/aircraft enthusiast. There is a small souvenir/gift shop and cafe on site. It would be lovely on a sunny day to sit outside to enjoy a cuppa and snack.

Knights Of The Sky – WWI

Peter Jackson (now Sir Peter Jackson) director, producer and writer of the The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, is an avid collector of all things WWI. It is his collection that features in the Knights Of The Sky exhibition at Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. His companies Wingnut Studio and Weta Studios designed and built the amazing sets and provided the mannequins. Any aircraft that have drip trays under them are airworthy. I was amazed a which aircraft were airworthy. I doubt they take to the air too often.

Dangerous Skies – WWII

One night in Stalingrad …..

All I can say is bring on Omaka Airshow 2027! I have been able to roll-over this year’s airshow ticket for 2027. It will be amazing to see some of these and many other aircraft up in the air. Can’t wait!

If cars are more your thing, be sure to visit the Omaka Classic Car display which is right next door.

The Airshow was to be held over the Easter Weekend. I had plans for the Friday, totally forgetting that it was Good Friday and most places were closed. I thought that I’d spend some time at The Vines Village on my way out of town looking through the artisan shops and have lunch at the cafe – didn’t happen. Pulled in to the carpark and not a car in sight. I had also planned to pick up some eggs so I could have scrambled eggs for breakfast Saturday morning as I was camping Friday night – supermarkets – closed.

Oh well I thought, there would be a convenience store or service station open to get some eggs. Sure, they were open, but did any of them have eggs – no they did not.

So a banana, cheese and tomatoes on crackers for breakfast it was!

Kerr Bay – Lake Rotoiti

The drive to St Arnaud to Lake Rotoiti is through the Wairau Valley – Marlborough Wine Country.

Lake Argyle Power Station

One of many small scale hydro power stations throughout New Zealand.

Lake Rotoiti

When I booked accommodation for the airshow, it seemed a good idea at the time to book a night camping at Lake Rotoiti. On my way to Blenheim I stopped in to pick up my campsite tag so I wouldn’t need to do it later.

Lake Rotoiti is home to Longfin Eels (one of two native eel species). Eels migrate up streams as elvers to find suitable adult habitat. After many years (15-30 years for shortfins, 25 years for longfins, and sometimes up to 80 years) they migrate to the Pacific Ocean to breed and die. For more info on our eels read – Here.

The weather on the way back through started out OK but turned to custard during the night. Not nice lying in a sleeping bag at 2am needing to pee listening to the rain battering the tent knowing the toilets are 500m away! Then you realise the valve on the air mattress has given up the ghost and you’re sleeping on the hard ground.

Then after your amazing breakfast of banana, and crackers with tomato and cheese you have to pull down and pack up a wet tent in the rain. The joys of camping! However, I did manage to make a hot cup of tea which made the day much brighter.☺️

I did fit in a lovely 45 minute walk (Honey Dew Track) while the weather was good and managed to enjoy the lake in the evening with no one else around. There was also a place to get a great hamburger for dinner. Not all bad.

Kerr Bay Campground has great facilities and was well laid out, clean and well kept. Bookings are required and can be made online via the DOC website.

The Service Centre (where you pick up your camping tags) have information on walks and tramping, maps, hut bookings and tickets, fishing licences and retail sales. Interpretive displays explain the landforms, history and wildlife of the area.

There is a Water Taxi which makes a number of runs around the lake during the day. They also hire kayaks.

Information on the walks in the area can be found HERE.

Back in my happy space – the West Coast bush.

Honey Dew Loop Track:

My evening stroll along the shoreline – before the weather turned yuck.

Sometimes – as in this case – a road trip just doesn’t go as you would hope. As long as there are no injuries or illness, have a chuckle, maybe swear under your breath and make the most of it.

Happy Travels!