199 Taylor Pass Road
August 24
Our NZ Address:
199 Taylor Pass Road
Witherlea
Blenheim 7201
New Zealand
We were very fortunate to find this rental on Taylor Pass Road. Blenheim has a very tight rental market, and for some reason beyond our understanding, we were fortunately selected amongst several other applicants. The house is located south of town near the kid's school and is only a 7-minute bike ride to Wairau Hospital. When the weather is nice, Carrie is able to bike to work. The house was unfurnished, so we spent the few weeks prior to occupation rounding up household goods, buying used furniture and downgrading our interior decorating standards. It is a single story 4-bedroom home with a two car garage and a dorm fridge in the kitchen.
The house backs up to the Wither Hills Farm Park. A large nature reserve crisscrossed with hiking, mountain biking, and running trails. Since the park is still an operating livestock farm, the pasture behind our home is often populated with sheep. The sheep make us all smile while simultaneously giving us the Willies. Upon hearing a noise they will often freeze in place and stare in unison at the source. It's actually quite unnerving to walk through your bedroom, look to the right and see in the window 20 or so sheep blankly staring right through you. The photo on the left is from Lilly's bed, she can actually count the sheep lying down. They are completely friendly and Meredith enjoys purposely tossing the rugby ball over the fence so she can visit them.
From up in Wither Hills you can see the Wairau Valley, the Southern Alps, the Omaka Aerodome, and several vineyards. The sunny days, cool nights and dry autumn weather provide the ideal conditions for growing grapes and the Marlborough region is home to over 100 wineries. It is the large segment of the economy here in Blenheim. The housing development in this photo is where we are located.
Within in the park, there are miles of trails to run and bike if you don't mind doing hill work and yielding the right away to the sheep and cattle. It is not uncommon to have to stop to let them through or to wiggle your bike around them. The views are incredible making the guilt for not going for a morning run or afternoon ride insurmountable. When Carrie and I make our case to Lilly to stay for another year, Wither Hills Park will be Exhibit A.
Biking is big in Blenheim and with the school and hospital so near, we have been able to get by with one car and 4 bikes. It is a regular site to see 3-year-old kids cruising around on bikes and 4 and 5-year-olds biking or scootering several blocks to school without a parent in sight. Pretty soon, I may have to quit following Lilly and Jack so closely. The photos below are from the trail from our house to Witherlea school. It takes about 15 minutes longer than the 15-minute surface road ride, but the views are worth it. The park has a designated Mountain Bike section with some really advanced trails. Once Carrie befriends the orthopedist, we are going to set Jack loose.
The house came with a 3-legged cat we call Traci/Tracer. It, we are not quite sure on the gender, is serving quite well as a temporary pet fix for the kids.
