Appendix 1 Volume Three A. Marlborough Sounds Coastal Landscape - Outer Sounds are more rugged and exposed to the varying climatic conditions in the Cook Strait. - Inner Sounds more sheltered and visually defined by forest-clad ridges and mountain tops which promote the intimacy experienced from within the waters. - Many of the smaller bays in Inner Sounds show little evidence of human intervention, and the level of visual intactness remains high. - Small settlements, generally nestled closely at the head of a bay, retain a high level of aesthetic coherence, contained by the steep, often vegetated sides of the enclosing ridge. - High levels of naturalness, recreational values and visual coherence. Overview The network of headlands, bays, inlets and islands of this distinctive coastline contain very high aesthetic and associative values. The rich cultural history of the Marlborough Sounds, including its high levels of naturalness and recreational values combine to create a highly memorable coastal landscape. Within this Coastal landscape there are ONLs and ONFs. B. Wairau Dry Hills Landscape Values - Soft, undulating hills act as an important backdrop to Blenheim and contrast with the varied land use practices across the Wairau Plains. - Southern Hills provide topographical relief to the flat plains. - The Hills provide a high level of visual coherence due to their prominent and mostly unencumbered nature from buildings and noticeably ‘clean’ ridges and spu rs. - Dry hills around Dashwood Pass and Redwood Pass are particularly scenic. - Golden, homogenous undulating form is an iconic feature of Marlborough. - The openness of the hills provides recreational and transient values, offering panoramic views of the Wairau Valley. - Wither Hills Farm Park is a popular recreation area and Redwood Pass is popular for mountain biking. Overview The key values of this area are sensory values related to the visual coherence of the hills in terms of their homogenous undulating form and colour, and the way in which they provide a visual contrast to the rows of vines that stretch across the plains. They have become so evocative of south Marlborough. This is due in part to their presence as the visual backdrop to the population centre of Blenheim and because so many people pass through these hills on State Highway 1. App 1 - 28