Marlborough Attractions

Savour the flavours of Marlborough

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• Take a winery tour. There is a variety of local wine trail operators providing a popular way to see and sample what Marlborough has to offer, be it by car, coach, or bicycle.
• Don't miss the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre for a visual feast of World War One aircraft.
• Lunch alfresco amidst the vines at a winery restaurant.
• Sample and shop for local produce from the farm gate or the Sunday Farmers Market.
• Visit a distillery or brewery to taste locally produced fruit brandies, beers and liqueurs.
• Visit Makana, a boutique chocolate factory to see how the chocolates are made - taste a few examples and shop for gifts.
• Local museums illustrate the early history of the region.
• Take a walk in Wither Hills Farm Park - for great views over Marlborough and the Wairau Plains.
• Art galleries offer ever-changing exhibitions of local and national artists.

Picton - the gateway to the Queen Charlotte Track in the Sounds

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• Arrive by sea through the glorious maze of deep coves and bays that is Queen Charlotte Sound.
• Explore the vibrant seaport town of Picton. European settlement of this area began in the 1840s and many of the early buildings still grace the waterfront.
• Cycle the Queen Charlotte Track, one of the New Zealand Cycle Trail's Great Rides
• Picton Museum offers a fascinating insight into whaling in the sounds, and the history of Waitohi as a Maori trading settlement, colonial port and whaling port
• Go on a sea kayaking safari - guide yourself or join a group for expert tuition
• Take a delivery cruise in the Marlborough Sounds and explore its many inlets and coves. Stay onboard or get off to enjoy lunch at a waterfront retreat.
• Walk the Queen Charlotte Track (three to five days) - a popular walkway with many entry and exit points. There are various accomodation providers and restaurants along its length catering for a range of budgets, plus you don't have to get your feet wet!
• Visit the Edwin Fox, the world's ninth oldest ship on display in Picton Harbour. Ecoworld Aquarium next door is a great place to take the kids.
• Dive shipwrecks. The Mikhail Lermontov is one of the largest divable wrecks in the world, located in Port Gore in the Marlborough Sounds.
• Charter a sailing boat and cruise the sounds - bareboat or skippered.
• Chill out in a waterfront cafe, sampling local cuisine and soaking up the ambience of the neighbouring marina.

Find a fresh country adventure in the Awatere Valley or along the Pacific coast

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  Explore private gardens open for viewing - Barewood Garden in the Awatere Valley is recognised as a garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.
• Visit Yealands Estate, New Zealand's largest privately owned vineyard nestled in the Awatere Valley.
• Take a guided tour of Molesworth Station, New Zealand's largest high country farm station. View the grandeur and beauty of the mountainous high country.
• Walk the Cape Campbell or the Awatere Tussock Tracks.
• Cycle Molesworth Road, part of the New Zealand Cycle Trails

Adventures that begin in Havelock

The charming seaport of Havelock was once a thriving gold-mining town. Today it's the Greenshell Mussell Capital of the world and recognised as the gateway to the Kenepuru Sound.

• Taste the local delicacy - Greenshell Mussels served in a number of local cafes or onboard the Greenshell Mussel Cruise.
• Take time to explore the boutique stores on Havelock's main street.
• Spend the day cruising the waterways of the Marlborough Sounds on the Pelorus Mail Boat.
• Visit the historic gold mining township of Canvastown, the scenic splendour of Pelorus Bridge Reserve and rural Rai Valley.
• Drive your own boat on a guided safari in the Marlborough Sounds with Waterways Safaris.
• Get on board a charter boat and go snapper fishing or learn the eco-history of the Pelorus and Kenepuru Sounds.
• Drive or cruise to a waterfront retreat for a relaxing stay.
• Follow the Nydia Track to Tennyson Inlet. The walk takes two days.
• Visit the tiny settlement of French Pass and offshore D'Urville Island.
• Do the Pelorus Bridge Walks - 18 kilometres west of Havelock.

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