Perfect place for truckies to stop

Truck drivers passing through Marlborough now have a secure place to have a kip, have dinner and a shower, and even wash their clothes if they choose.

The Riverlands Roadhouse put out the "Open" sign last Friday, and has been catering to the needs of passing truckies and the public at all hours since.

The complex, east of Blenheim, has enough parking for 50 trucks, a Caltex fuel depot, a truck wash and a 24-hour diner, as well as an ablutions block including public toilets, a laundromat, showers, kitchen facilities, and a waste disposal unit for campervans.
The Caltex diesel pump will be the only Caltex bowser between Picton and Kaikoura when the facility at the Picton ferry terminal is removed soon.

Property developer David Wagner, of David Wagner Holdings, said the construction of a motel and a bigger restaurant would start in the next few months.

The site has been under development for a couple of years, and work was delayed by heavy rain last winter. Mr Wagner said he wanted to get it right the first time around.

"All the money is under the ground," he said. The carpark has layers of different-sized gravel and a tarmac covering three times the specifications for a normal carpark, to ensure it stands up to the rigours of heavy rigs.

Crafar Crouch constructed the carpark and Robinson Construction built the buildings.

Mr Wagner declined to say how much the project was costing, but in the past he has been reported as saying the two-hectare complex was a $6 million project.

He said he preferred to open the doors on Friday without any big fanfare. "We are just feeling our way at the moment. It's busier at night than it is during the day, but we expected that because it is a truck stop."

Mr Wagner said he understood that about 280 trucks passed by each day, but he was aware that not all would normally schedule their stop near Blenheim. He hopes that they might start to factor the new convenience of doing so into their routes.

Truck driver Gareth Lobb slept in his rig at the complex on Tuesday. He travels between Pukekohe and Rakaia about 30 times a year, and said the location was a perfect place for him to take a rest.
"It makes it a bit easier.

"After a drive from Pukekohe, it works out pretty sweet."
The roadhouse is not only for truckies.

Yesterday, Canadian honeymooners Phil and Andrea Dirks, who are travelling around the South Island in a van, were happy to find a laundromat and hot chips in one place.

All News:

	Perfect place for truckies to stop Truck drivers passing through Marlborough now have a secure place to have a kip, have dinner and a shower, and even wash their clothes if they choose. More info >>
	The Riverlands Roadhouse Truck Stop is near to becoming a going concern. Crafar Crouch as the main contractors have now got into high gear and construction of the main Truck Park is well underway. More info >>
	NZ’s Largest Truck-stop in the Making Truck-stop developer David (Bill) Wagner would be hard-pressed to find a more strategic location for his Riverlands Roadhouse project. More info >>
	Help in sight for Marlboroughs wine worker housing crises. Consents have finally been issued by the Marlborough District Council for the development of the Riverland Roadhouse truck stop and rural workers accommodation complex to be built on the site adjacent to the Marlborough sale yards on state highway 1. More info >>
	Riverlands Roadhouse Truck Stop Construction has started on a new American style Truck Stop on sate highway 1 at Riverlands (opposite Montana Winery) in Blenheim. More info >>