WITHER HILLS WANDERLUST: ROAMING THE HILLS OF BLENHEIM
21 JANUARY 2023
Lath chillin' with the sheep
Sutherland Stream Track
Another great track is the Sutherland Stream Walk which is a beautiful and peaceful hike located at the base of the Wither Hills. It follows the Sutherland Stream, which winds its way through the hills, where you pass by unsuspecting sheep and cows/bulls (just kidding, they know you're coming, they've been watching and they've been waiting... ooooh, creepy). We followed a well-maintained gravel path that winds its way through the farm park.
The track begins at the Redwood carpark at the same place the Mt Vernon Track starts. When we visited in January 2023, the bridge at the beginning of the track had been damaged by record rainfall and demolished, so we were sent on a 1-minute detour to get onto the track.
We find the tracks on the Wither Hills to be pretty quiet and we've only ever passed 2 people maximum out on our hikes and walks. It might be that we went in summer and most people avoid walking there because of the heat.
The track begins at the Redwood carpark at the same place the Mt Vernon Track starts. When we visited in January 2023, the bridge at the beginning of the track had been damaged by record rainfall and demolished, so we were sent on a 1-minute detour to get onto the track.
We find the tracks on the Wither Hills to be pretty quiet and we've only ever passed 2 people maximum out on our hikes and walks. It might be that we went in summer and most people avoid walking there because of the heat.
One small leap for mankind
Sheep, Cows And Quails, Oh My!
We really enjoyed walking along the track and were thankful for shade in some places as it was a hot day but had a nice cool breeze. In summer, it's generally advised against walking on the hills between 9am and 5pm as there is a high risk of fire as it gets sooo hot and the grass is so dry! Speaking of grass, it was kind of weird to see lush green grass surrounding us as we had just spent 4 weeks in Tekapo and the land was so barren there.
The track is a nice walk for kids as it's pretty flat and they'd enjoy the stream in the cooler months when it's not dried up. Plus there are the sheep, cows, bulls and birds to see - we saw a couple of cute quails on the track but they gapped it when they saw us heading their way.
The trail eventually leads to the top of the Wither Hills which adds on more time to your walk and is more challenging, or you can walk to the picnic area and back if you want a flat track to walk on and don't feel like living dangerously that day.
The track is a nice walk for kids as it's pretty flat and they'd enjoy the stream in the cooler months when it's not dried up. Plus there are the sheep, cows, bulls and birds to see - we saw a couple of cute quails on the track but they gapped it when they saw us heading their way.
The trail eventually leads to the top of the Wither Hills which adds on more time to your walk and is more challenging, or you can walk to the picnic area and back if you want a flat track to walk on and don't feel like living dangerously that day.
Hiking Up To Mt Vernon
A couple of weeks ago we met an awesome family travelling around New Zealand, so we met up with them to do a walk at the Wither Hills and we decided to do the Sutherland Track as it's a nice and easy walk BUT you don't get any views from the top, so when we came to a junction, we decided to head up Mt Vernon. Our girls and their new friends spent the whole-time sharing lollies, holding hands and chatting away about this and that - it was super cute!
As we got higher and the track became exposed to the elements, the wind became really intense and even thought it was summer, there had been a huge dumping of snow at the mountains down south and we had a southerly wind, so it was freezing cold which was great when we were hiking but not so much when we were chilling at the top of Mt Vernon! The track itself was a moderate climb upwards and narrow in parts, then it started to level out as we got to the top.
We took the same track down and back onto the Sutherland Stream Track to head back to our cars, as the other way down is quite steep as we experienced on our first time hiking up Mt Vernon.
As we got higher and the track became exposed to the elements, the wind became really intense and even thought it was summer, there had been a huge dumping of snow at the mountains down south and we had a southerly wind, so it was freezing cold which was great when we were hiking but not so much when we were chilling at the top of Mt Vernon! The track itself was a moderate climb upwards and narrow in parts, then it started to level out as we got to the top.
We took the same track down and back onto the Sutherland Stream Track to head back to our cars, as the other way down is quite steep as we experienced on our first time hiking up Mt Vernon.
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
- In summer, it's not recommended to walk on the hills between 9am and 5om due to a high fire risk
- Leave the gates as you found them as there are animals on the farm that need to be in specific areas
- The Sutherland Stream Track takes around 1 hour to complete when you turn back at the junction (unless you head up Mt Vernon from the end of the track, then that will take around 2 hours)
- All of the tracks lead onto each other so you can just keep 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
- We also love the Mt Vernon Track and the Lower Quail Stream Track
Mappy McMap Face
Getting There
The Sutherland Stream Track starts at the end of Redwood Street and there is plenty of parking.
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 Sutherland Stream Track
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
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