Cloudy Bay

Story

Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay is located at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, to the south of the Marlborough Sounds and north of Clifford Bay. In August 2014, the name Cloudy Bay, given by Captain Cook in 1770, was officially altered to Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay, with the Māori name recalling the early explorer Kupe scooping up oysters from the bay.The area lends its name to one of the best known New World white wines (Cloudy Bay Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc) although the grapes used in production of that wine are grown in the Marlborough wine region further inland.The bay faces Cook Strait, stretching north-south over a distance of 30km from the southern extremity of the Marlborough Sounds (Port Underwood) to White Bluffs. Along its length is the delta of the Wairau River, which reaches the sea at two points. The southern of these forms an entrance to the Big Lagoon, just to the north of White Bluffs. The central point is known as the Wairau Diversion. There is also a popular swimming beach to the north known as Whites Bay.Fifteen minutes drive from central Blenheim is Cloudy Bays' beautiful and picturesque coastal community of Rarangi which consists of an original beachfront settlement in the northern end of Cloudy Bay which ranges from the typical New Zealand bach or crib along with some high quality homes. It also has a newer large subdivision consisting of high quality homes within the central part of Cloudy Bay nearer to the coastal man-made river which is known as the Wairau Diversion. This subdivision includes high quality homes along the beachfront and also includes inland housing areas.