Paddling near Wairau Valley, Marlborough

Wairau Valley sits in Marlborough at the heart of the Wairau River catchment, one of the South Island's largest braided river systems. The Wairau River itself is the main local paddling draw, used for kayaking and SUP, while the wider Marlborough region extends to the sheltered sea kayaking of the Marlborough Sounds, the bird-rich channels of the Wairau Lagoon near Blenheim, and the gentle Opawa River wetlands.