Beautiful Marlborough Region – Wine, Food, Gardens & Antique

What a combination of activities to pack into a three day, three-night weekend in the beautiful Marlborough region! Come join Girls on the Road Again as entertainer, performer Jackie Clarke and Lesley Whyte founder of Girls on the Road Again and multi-award winning photographer as we are heading away for a little bit of a long weekend of wining, dining, homewares and antique shopping.

From the time you check into Hotel d’Urville late afternoon Friday 25 until you we drop you off at Blenheim’s airport Monday 28 around 4pm, this is a jam-packed long weekend of amazing fun.

Not sure where to start as all the activities are awesome fun:

- After you’ve checked into your room on Friday, join Lesley and Jackie at 7pm and get to know each other over dinner at our hotel’s restaurant which is regarded as one of Blenheim’s greatest places to dine – check out their menu

- Water taxi ride to Arapawa Island, situated at the head of the Marlborough Sounds and home of Arapawa Blue Pearls. Here we are treated to a scrumptiously beautiful lunch, of course with bubbles, then enjoy a tour and walk through the Paua farm. An opportunity while we are here to buy some of the beautiful jewellery. One of the amazing activities will be to feed the HUGE 80-year-old plus longfin eels which live in a small stream on the island.

- Head to Havelock for beautiful seafood lunch sitting outside at Mills Bay Mussels – while why not buy one of their premium packs of green shell mussels, the pack designed to stay fresh for up to 12 days.

- Afternoon tea and tour of Upton Oaks which has graced the pages of numerous books and magazines plus television screens and is visited by many national and international visitors each year. It has been awarded the rating of a Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.

- After our time at Upton Oaks, we head to Antria Lodge to enjoy bubbles & canapés, here we get to meet Caro Gatley one of Girls on the Road Again’s tour buddies.

- Enjoy “The Many” an eight-course exquisite degustation dinner with wine pairing at Arbour Restaurant

The most fun you will have had with a glass of wine will be our “painting with wine” session with visual artist Sarah Higgins followed by lunch at Wither Hills.

- Enjoy exploring a couple of Blenheim’s antique and collectable stores – Just Browsing and Antiques and Decorative Centre. No excuse not to buy as if you see anything you like, they will ship home to you

Situated right next to our hotel is Cinnamon House Design who have the most amazing collection of housewares and furniture. If there is something on your shopping list for the man in your life, you will absolutely adore the “Man Cave”.

- Sunday night it’s a little Brazilian flair as we dine at Gramados.
- Each night after dinner, we’ll pile into Lesley & Jackie’s room to enjoy a selection of cheeses, wine and a gin-based cocktail.

What’s included:
- Three nights twin-share accommodation at Blenheim’s beautiful Hotel d’Urville
- Continental self-help breakfast on Saturday, Sunday & Monday morning
- Lunch on Saturday, Sunday & Monday with wines
- Dinner on Friday, Saturday & Sunday with quality wines
- Afternoon tea on Sunday
- Transfer to Blenheim Airport on Monday
- Nibbles & bubbles back at the hotel
- All activities outlined above