Waihopai Valley
Marlborough | New Zealand
A colleague told me that New Zealand's nature is so impressive that you should really save a trip there for last. Nothing after can match it. Well it could just be, with the entry ban, that no more wine trip is in the offing for us. Fortunately, we still have the photos. The fellow travelled from rugged The Lord of the Rings landscapes to layered limestone cliffs near the coast to the ancient river valleys the Marlborough Sounds. And yes, bungee jumping he also crossed off his bucket list there. And, of course, local wine tasting. -TEXT MARJOLEIN SCHUMAN
Waihopai Valley
This photo is not of him, but of winery Lawson's Dry Hills. What we see are regal vines in Waihopai Valley, neatly trimmed in the shape of the hills behind! As we speak, vintners are preparing for the grape harvest, which begins in late February. With a cooler climate, the Marlborough region, in the north-east of the South Island, has ideal conditions for viticulture. This is evidenced by the success of white Sauvignon Blanc from here in particular.
New Zealand sheep - and there are tens of millions of them - also feast on Marlborough; you can see them grazing among the grapevines, where they keep the grass and weeds down. After winter, the beasts move to other fields and traditional mowing is again done here, from the bursting of the grape buds in September until harvest.
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