June 29, 2025 • 5 mins
Our Marlborough-based viticulture correspondent updates the flooding on his side of the hill, but says that fortunately, it came at a relatively good time of the farming year calendar.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Continuing the update on the flooding theme here on the country.
We've heard it wasn't too flash in Nelson. Let's head
over the hill to Marlborough. Our guy there is Blair
Blizzard MacLean from fruit Fed Supplies, our viticulture correspondent, the
Caleb Clark of Marlborough. I'll come back to that one.
But on a serious note, Blair, you sent me a
(00:21):
picture of Cherry Bank Orchard. That's your cherry orchard in Blenham,
or just outside of Blenham, and all I can see
is water.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, Gathmon Jamie. Yeah, we've had a fairly here, a
fairly major event here on the top of the South,
including Nelson. Yeah. I think our place we were at
two thirty two mills last looked at on. Most of
it came on Friday and Saturday. I think one of
the days we had one hundred and sixty mills or something.
So she just fair cloud down here in the sunny Marlborough.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And even more rain in the Marlborough sounds.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah. Yeah, somehow we've got some work colleagues out there.
Way when they were they were recording three twenty three
point thirty odd mills of rain. So yeah, just yeah,
cause a bit of damage anything around rivers. Vineyards certainly
got a fair whack. There's some flood banks that broke
a bit further up the way, Hoopei Valley, Wiraw Valley
(01:18):
got fairly well hammered to all that stuff that's sort
of in that direction from the from the west where
it came the awaitri had. The Arata River was at
ae hundred year flood record number. Our Wire River it
was bank to bank and still pretty much as I
think it was at about three eight hundred cu meek.
(01:41):
So yeah, a lot of water in a short time.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
So historically, how does it relate to other big floods
in the region.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Seems to be every four years, Like twenty twenty one
was our last one. Big event which was similar to
seventeen was another one. So we've had had some big
one hundred year or twenty five year old floods pretty
close together. In the bearing of mind, we've got the
most sunshine hours here in Marlborough last year, so yeah,
(02:11):
it's all over the place, but massive cleanup this week
really and hopefully that forecasts for the end of the
week doesn't come true.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Absolutely. More about that hopefully with Phil Duncan on that one.
So if you're going to get a flood and have
water lying in vineyards and cherry orchards or orchards, I
suppose now is not a bad time of the year
because the plant's basically well in winter dormancy.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, you're right, Jamie, everything's dormant. Now. We've had looking
at the winter chill hours, which are temperatures below seven
degrees from the first to May, we're at about six
or seven hundred hours, and everything's dormant. Everything shut down.
So this flood had happened as it did obviously in
the Hawk's Bay area a couple of years ago when
(02:59):
they had the cycling if this area, if this event
had happened in spring or in summer, yeah it would
not be good at all, but least it would happen
in the winter. And a fair bit of it has
drained away. The wire hours back down now, but it's
just all the clean up, all of the sludge and
all of the low lying areas has still actually got
(03:20):
a bit of water. It's still quite a bit of
pumping going on of water. So yeah, it doesn't shouldn't
affect vines or trees.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
No, not to mention fencing and stuff. Permanent structures like
that take a bit of a threshing as well.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah. Yeah, And there's certainly some big flood banks up
the Wayhope I area that have been breached. So there's
and there was a lot of money spent on fixing
those in the last few years. So yeah, a bit
more work to repair all those again. So yeah, we're
just sort of in recovery mode.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, okay, and I get that, but it compounds a
tough year for the wine industry.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
That's right. Yeah, so we are. You know, we've got
fifty million liters surplus of saving and blanc that we
are trying to work through. And I think that equates
to like our harvest that we just had, which was
four hundred thousand tons, it equates to a million bottles
a day that everyone has to drink, and they includes you, Jamie.
I know I's had a big weekend, but you might
have to top yourself up so we can drink a
(04:16):
million bottles today in the world to move our twenty
and twenty five mintach.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
No, no, I'll be alcohol free this week, mind you.
I did go to a Rugby reunion forty years on. Ah,
the eighties were a great time, Blair, but we were
sixty five year olds carrying on like twenty five year olds.
But anyhow, I'm wondering. And I did reference you as
the Caleb Clark of Blenheim, because you did, and I
know you hate me dragging up the stat but I
love it. You played three years on the wing for
(04:44):
the Rocks for senior team and never scored a try.
The bloke on the other side, Johnny McKinnell got about
forty or fifty.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah, we'll be a pretty quick reunion for me. Won't
have to reminisce they. I'll have a lot, But Johnny
be happy. Yeah no, we went through a bit of
a poor passion. But it sounds like you're a great
week in jam Jamie, and I'm really happy for you.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Well, I can't wait till you have your reunion and
reminisce on those three great seasons. But I'm sure you
provided plenty of tri assists.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah no, I don't think I do to that either.
But anyway, we had a good time planning for Roxford.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Good on you, and I'm sure Caleb Clark will break
has duck as well. Hopefully for the all black Splair Blizzard. MacLean,
thanks for your time, good luck with the cleanup and
the Marlborough Thanks Jamie,
Continuing the update on the flooding theme here on the country.
We've heard it wasn't too flash in Nelson. Let's head
over the hill to Marlborough. Our guy there is Blair
Blizzard MacLean from fruit Fed Supplies, our viticulture correspondent, the
Caleb Clark of Marlborough. I'll come back to that one.
But on a serious note, Blair, you sent me a
(00:21):
picture of Cherry Bank Orchard. That's your cherry orchard in Blenham,
or just outside of Blenham, and all I can see
is water.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Yeah, Gathmon Jamie. Yeah, we've had a fairly here, a
fairly major event here on the top of the South,
including Nelson. Yeah. I think our place we were at
two thirty two mills last looked at on. Most of
it came on Friday and Saturday. I think one of
the days we had one hundred and sixty mills or something.
So she just fair cloud down here in the sunny Marlborough.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
And even more rain in the Marlborough sounds.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah. Yeah, somehow we've got some work colleagues out there.
Way when they were they were recording three twenty three
point thirty odd mills of rain. So yeah, just yeah,
cause a bit of damage anything around rivers. Vineyards certainly
got a fair whack. There's some flood banks that broke
a bit further up the way, Hoopei Valley, Wiraw Valley
(01:18):
got fairly well hammered to all that stuff that's sort
of in that direction from the from the west where
it came the awaitri had. The Arata River was at
ae hundred year flood record number. Our Wire River it
was bank to bank and still pretty much as I
think it was at about three eight hundred cu meek.
(01:41):
So yeah, a lot of water in a short time.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
So historically, how does it relate to other big floods
in the region.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Seems to be every four years, Like twenty twenty one
was our last one. Big event which was similar to
seventeen was another one. So we've had had some big
one hundred year or twenty five year old floods pretty
close together. In the bearing of mind, we've got the
most sunshine hours here in Marlborough last year, so yeah,
(02:11):
it's all over the place, but massive cleanup this week
really and hopefully that forecasts for the end of the
week doesn't come true.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Absolutely. More about that hopefully with Phil Duncan on that one.
So if you're going to get a flood and have
water lying in vineyards and cherry orchards or orchards, I
suppose now is not a bad time of the year
because the plant's basically well in winter dormancy.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, you're right, Jamie, everything's dormant. Now. We've had looking
at the winter chill hours, which are temperatures below seven
degrees from the first to May, we're at about six
or seven hundred hours, and everything's dormant. Everything shut down.
So this flood had happened as it did obviously in
the Hawk's Bay area a couple of years ago when
(02:59):
they had the cycling if this area, if this event
had happened in spring or in summer, yeah it would
not be good at all, but least it would happen
in the winter. And a fair bit of it has
drained away. The wire hours back down now, but it's
just all the clean up, all of the sludge and
all of the low lying areas has still actually got
(03:20):
a bit of water. It's still quite a bit of
pumping going on of water. So yeah, it doesn't shouldn't
affect vines or trees.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
No, not to mention fencing and stuff. Permanent structures like
that take a bit of a threshing as well.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah. Yeah, And there's certainly some big flood banks up
the Wayhope I area that have been breached. So there's
and there was a lot of money spent on fixing
those in the last few years. So yeah, a bit
more work to repair all those again. So yeah, we're
just sort of in recovery mode.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, okay, and I get that, but it compounds a
tough year for the wine industry.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
That's right. Yeah, so we are. You know, we've got
fifty million liters surplus of saving and blanc that we
are trying to work through. And I think that equates
to like our harvest that we just had, which was
four hundred thousand tons, it equates to a million bottles
a day that everyone has to drink, and they includes you, Jamie.
I know I's had a big weekend, but you might
have to top yourself up so we can drink a
(04:16):
million bottles today in the world to move our twenty
and twenty five mintach.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
No, no, I'll be alcohol free this week, mind you.
I did go to a Rugby reunion forty years on. Ah,
the eighties were a great time, Blair, but we were
sixty five year olds carrying on like twenty five year olds.
But anyhow, I'm wondering. And I did reference you as
the Caleb Clark of Blenheim, because you did, and I
know you hate me dragging up the stat but I
love it. You played three years on the wing for
(04:44):
the Rocks for senior team and never scored a try.
The bloke on the other side, Johnny McKinnell got about
forty or fifty.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah, we'll be a pretty quick reunion for me. Won't
have to reminisce they. I'll have a lot, But Johnny
be happy. Yeah no, we went through a bit of
a poor passion. But it sounds like you're a great
week in jam Jamie, and I'm really happy for you.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Well, I can't wait till you have your reunion and
reminisce on those three great seasons. But I'm sure you
provided plenty of tri assists.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yeah no, I don't think I do to that either.
But anyway, we had a good time planning for Roxford.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Good on you, and I'm sure Caleb Clark will break
has duck as well. Hopefully for the all black Splair Blizzard. MacLean,
thanks for your time, good luck with the cleanup and
the Marlborough Thanks Jamie,
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