WIND, POOP & GREAT VIEWS
28 FEBRUARY 2023
Sienna & Arabella on the Reservoir Ridge Track
Lower Quail Stream Track
The only place in Blenheim that is challenging enough for us to hike at is in the Wither Hills, which are an iconic backdrop for the small town at the top of the South Island of New Zealand.
There are heaps of different tracks on the hills which all link up one way or another, and they all range from easy like the Sutherland Stream Track, to challenging like the Mt Vernon Track. Our favourite hike so far is an 8.5km track that takes us through Lower Quail Stream Track (mostly flat and yes, there are lots of quails!), up Intersect Track (extremely steep at the beginning - a true thigh burner!), along the Taylor View Track (easy because all of the hard work was done getting up the hills on the Intersect Track), down the Reservoir Ridge Track (downhill all the way) and finally down the Upper Harling Track which takes us back to the carpark where we started.
The Lower Quail Stream Track is an easy track that winds through bush and along the stream (which is dry in summer) and where you'll find lots of cute quail trying to run away from all the annoying humans disturbing their sunbathing and tea parties. It's a nice, easy track to walk and to see what you can find along the way and it's one of the few tracks in the area that is covered, so you can get some reprieve from the hot summer sun.
Arabella found these GIANT pinecones that had fallen from the trees on the track, which only seem to be in the South Island as we saw some when we were exploring Tekapo on the Cowans Hill Track. This is one of the best parts about travelling to different areas and different countries, is we get to see new things we've never seen before. It's amazing learning for the girls and also for us! It keeps the kids interested and it's really cool to see how excited they get as it sparks their interest and gets them asking questions. This is world schooling in a nutshell!
There are heaps of different tracks on the hills which all link up one way or another, and they all range from easy like the Sutherland Stream Track, to challenging like the Mt Vernon Track. Our favourite hike so far is an 8.5km track that takes us through Lower Quail Stream Track (mostly flat and yes, there are lots of quails!), up Intersect Track (extremely steep at the beginning - a true thigh burner!), along the Taylor View Track (easy because all of the hard work was done getting up the hills on the Intersect Track), down the Reservoir Ridge Track (downhill all the way) and finally down the Upper Harling Track which takes us back to the carpark where we started.
The Lower Quail Stream Track is an easy track that winds through bush and along the stream (which is dry in summer) and where you'll find lots of cute quail trying to run away from all the annoying humans disturbing their sunbathing and tea parties. It's a nice, easy track to walk and to see what you can find along the way and it's one of the few tracks in the area that is covered, so you can get some reprieve from the hot summer sun.
Arabella found these GIANT pinecones that had fallen from the trees on the track, which only seem to be in the South Island as we saw some when we were exploring Tekapo on the Cowans Hill Track. This is one of the best parts about travelling to different areas and different countries, is we get to see new things we've never seen before. It's amazing learning for the girls and also for us! It keeps the kids interested and it's really cool to see how excited they get as it sparks their interest and gets them asking questions. This is world schooling in a nutshell!
Intersect Track
Ohhh how we love a thigh burning track! Ok I'm lying, but we're always super proud of ourselves for getting on up those big ol' hills because we know that the best views are right at the tippy top.
The Intersect Track is a few hundred metres and it starts on the left, just after the toilet at Quail Junction (which is the last toilet until you get back to the carpark). It's really steep to start and we often need to just take a moment to enjoy the view aka take a break although sometimes Bella has this huge burst of energy and ends up running up it, telling us to hurry up!! Seriously, I have no idea where she gets this strength and energy from! Hikes can be hit and miss sometimes, with huge hikes like the 16km Roys Peak in Wanaka being a piece of cake for her and sometimes a small 1 hour track is just too much that day. But we get that, we're the same some days... I guess as adults we just don't voice it as much.
The higher up the track, the better the views and the more you see the unique rolling hills that are the Wither Hills. It's a beautiful sight, even on cloudy days as the shade and shadows look so different each time we go. It's a photographer's paradise and I always carry my camera with me to snap a few shots of the hills.
At the top of the Intersect Track is a bench seat where we use as a "let's just get to that and we can have some food" point. It can get pretty windy up there and most of the days we have done this route it has been warm but in the cooler months it would get pretty damn cold I imagine! So take a jacket to put on as the ridges are so exposed up there.
The Intersect Track is a few hundred metres and it starts on the left, just after the toilet at Quail Junction (which is the last toilet until you get back to the carpark). It's really steep to start and we often need to just take a moment to enjoy the view aka take a break although sometimes Bella has this huge burst of energy and ends up running up it, telling us to hurry up!! Seriously, I have no idea where she gets this strength and energy from! Hikes can be hit and miss sometimes, with huge hikes like the 16km Roys Peak in Wanaka being a piece of cake for her and sometimes a small 1 hour track is just too much that day. But we get that, we're the same some days... I guess as adults we just don't voice it as much.
The higher up the track, the better the views and the more you see the unique rolling hills that are the Wither Hills. It's a beautiful sight, even on cloudy days as the shade and shadows look so different each time we go. It's a photographer's paradise and I always carry my camera with me to snap a few shots of the hills.
At the top of the Intersect Track is a bench seat where we use as a "let's just get to that and we can have some food" point. It can get pretty windy up there and most of the days we have done this route it has been warm but in the cooler months it would get pretty damn cold I imagine! So take a jacket to put on as the ridges are so exposed up there.
Intersect Track on the map
Taylor View Track
This is our favourite part of the whole loop track. We've done the hard yards on the Intersect Track and made it all the way to the top of the hills where we have views for days and our bellies are full of delicious snacks! Plus, the track is really easy with only a few small hills and we always have a few cows and sheep to say g'day to.
Everytime we have done this track, we've only passed a maximum of 3 people and usually they are mountain biking on the track, so it's quick hi, bye and they're on their merry way, giving us back our peace and quiet.
We always feel on top of the world here, it's so quiet and we're not surrounded by stressed people living their busy lives in the town, scurrying from one place to the next... instead we're surrounded by sheep and cow poop. It's really relaxing and the kids are always in a really good mood! They love rolling down the hills (avoiding the poop, mostly) and having fun and they always end up holding hands and encouraging each other - it's soooo sweet!
This part of the track offers views across Blenheim and the Blue Mountains on one side and more Wither Hills on the other side. As the Taylor View Track and Reservoir Ridge Track meet, there is an option to head across to Mt Vernon and from there you can see all the way across to Wellington on a clear day.
This track can get really windy along the ridge, so we always make sure we have jackets with us and even leggings juuuuust in case the wind turns super cold. There's nothing worse than freezing ya butt off when you're an hour or 2 away from your car.
The girls love to go off on the little side tracks alongside the main track - they are right beside it, but it makes them feel grown up and like explorers!
Everytime we have done this track, we've only passed a maximum of 3 people and usually they are mountain biking on the track, so it's quick hi, bye and they're on their merry way, giving us back our peace and quiet.
We always feel on top of the world here, it's so quiet and we're not surrounded by stressed people living their busy lives in the town, scurrying from one place to the next... instead we're surrounded by sheep and cow poop. It's really relaxing and the kids are always in a really good mood! They love rolling down the hills (avoiding the poop, mostly) and having fun and they always end up holding hands and encouraging each other - it's soooo sweet!
This part of the track offers views across Blenheim and the Blue Mountains on one side and more Wither Hills on the other side. As the Taylor View Track and Reservoir Ridge Track meet, there is an option to head across to Mt Vernon and from there you can see all the way across to Wellington on a clear day.
This track can get really windy along the ridge, so we always make sure we have jackets with us and even leggings juuuuust in case the wind turns super cold. There's nothing worse than freezing ya butt off when you're an hour or 2 away from your car.
The girls love to go off on the little side tracks alongside the main track - they are right beside it, but it makes them feel grown up and like explorers!
Reservoir Ridge Track
The start of the Reservoir Ridge Track marks the start of the downhill journey - literally, not figuratively, unless you're really hungry and tired and just caaaaan't go oooooon!
The view of Blenheim becomes much wider on this track and you can see across to Rarangi Beach near Whites Bay Beach (which is the best swimming beach in Marlborough).
There is an option to hop over the fence and head across to Mt Vernon and although we haven't taken this track yet, it's on our list to do! There is a water fountain not long after the 'hop on over the fence' part which has always been really handy for us on hot days when we've all managed to get through a bottle of water each. It also entertains the kids a little as they try and hold down the button and take a drink... who am I kidding? It's entertaining for us, watching them try to do it while the wind is swirling around and pushing the water in all sorts of directions!
One of our favourite times to do this hike is a few hours before sunset so we get a good amount of time to enjoy the track and take our time, and right at the end we get to catch the sunset when we're nearly at the carpark but still high enough to enjoy it. This way, we're not trekking back in the dark where it's harder to see and the kids are cold and tired.
On our last sunset hike, the trees were casting their shadow on the hills to the right of us and it looked like a herd of elephants which was pretty cool!
The view of Blenheim becomes much wider on this track and you can see across to Rarangi Beach near Whites Bay Beach (which is the best swimming beach in Marlborough).
There is an option to hop over the fence and head across to Mt Vernon and although we haven't taken this track yet, it's on our list to do! There is a water fountain not long after the 'hop on over the fence' part which has always been really handy for us on hot days when we've all managed to get through a bottle of water each. It also entertains the kids a little as they try and hold down the button and take a drink... who am I kidding? It's entertaining for us, watching them try to do it while the wind is swirling around and pushing the water in all sorts of directions!
One of our favourite times to do this hike is a few hours before sunset so we get a good amount of time to enjoy the track and take our time, and right at the end we get to catch the sunset when we're nearly at the carpark but still high enough to enjoy it. This way, we're not trekking back in the dark where it's harder to see and the kids are cold and tired.
On our last sunset hike, the trees were casting their shadow on the hills to the right of us and it looked like a herd of elephants which was pretty cool!
Run, Run, As Fast As You Can!
There's nothing like the promise of a storm to make you beat your previous time walking the track! Autumn can be unpredictable and when we were up along Taylor View Track on one of our hikes, we looked across the Wither Hills and saw this huge storm brewing! The black and grey clouds colliding with the golden grass was a beautiful contrast... it was so impressive and I couldn't stop photographing and I was kicking myself for not taking my DSLR up with me!
We were watching where the clouds were lining up with the hills and the Blue Mountains in the distance and they didn't seem to be moving along so we kinda hurried but kinda didn't! It was still a hot day and we decided that if we got soaked, we should be warm enough still! We got back to the car safely and no rain hit Blenheim that day, so it was just a storm passing by, minding its own business.
We were watching where the clouds were lining up with the hills and the Blue Mountains in the distance and they didn't seem to be moving along so we kinda hurried but kinda didn't! It was still a hot day and we decided that if we got soaked, we should be warm enough still! We got back to the car safely and no rain hit Blenheim that day, so it was just a storm passing by, minding its own business.
Upper Harling Track
The last part of the entire loop track takes you to a random patch of pine trees which smell deeeelic when you pass by them. Mmm, Christmas flavour. It's so random as so much of the Wither Hills is just bare land with golden grasses! Often we can hear shots being fired at the Rifle Range across the way which ruins the peace a little bit.
We meet lots of friendly sheep along the track who stare with us with intense curiosity, do a big poop then trot away. Nice.
We feel good by the end of the hike - we've had plenty of fresh air and plenty of laughs and it feels good to get back onto a comfy seat in the car!
We meet lots of friendly sheep along the track who stare with us with intense curiosity, do a big poop then trot away. Nice.
We feel good by the end of the hike - we've had plenty of fresh air and plenty of laughs and it feels good to get back onto a comfy seat in the car!
Know Before You Go
- Some of the tracks on the Wither Hills are for both walking and mountain biking, so remember to share the track
- The Lower Quail Stream to Upper Harling Track is 8.4kms and takes around 3 hours to complete but we take around 4 as we like to stop a lot
- In summer, it's not recommended to walk on the hills between 9am and 5om due to a high fire risk
- The wind can blow pretty hard along the ridges and can be cool even in summer if you get a southerly wind, so take some warm clothes just in case
- Leave the gates as you found them as there are animals on the farm that need to be in specific areas
- All of the tracks lead onto each other so you can just keep going and going (and going and going)
- We HIGHLY recommend either taking a map with you, or taking a photo of the map at the beginning of the trails so you can see which track leads onto which and ultimately, which one leads back to your car
- The park opens 1 hour before sunset and closes 1 hour after sunrise
- Other tracks on the Wither Hills we love are the Mt Vernon Track and the Sutherland Stream Track
- There is a water fountain where Taylor View Track meets the Reservoir Ridge Track and also at the carpark
- There are toilets at the carpark
Mappy McMap Face
Getting There
The entrance to the Lower Quail Stream Track at the end of Forest Park Drive and there's plenty of parking. There's also a playground on the left a couple of hundred of meters before the carpark.
Conclusion
The Wither Hills Farm Park is the perfect place to get some fresh air and stretch your legs. The walking tracks offer a variety of terrains, from easygoing paths to more challenging hikes, so there's something for everyone and the kids always enjoy seeing the sheep and stepping over cow pats! The views from the top of the hills are truly breathtaking and make for a great photo opportunity, especially at sunset or sunrise.
Gallery of the Lower Quail Stream to Upper Harling Track
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
More to do in the South Island
COWANS HILL TRACK
CANTERBURY
A beautiful and peaceful walk up the back of Tekapo, full of lupins in Nov - Jan if you go down the right track. Great mountain views! |
TASMAN GLACIER VIEWPOINT TRACK
CANTERBURY Walk the Tasman Glacier View Track and witness the stunning beauty of the largest glacier in New Zealand at Mt Cook.
|
OMARAMA CLAY CLIFFS
CANTERBURY This walk will you make you feel like you're on another planet! You can either explore near the entrance or go deeper into the cliffs. |
SEND US A MESSAGE, WE LOVE GETTING MAIL! |
DISCOVER |
FOLLOW USBORING (BUT IMPORTANT LEGAL) STUFF |