Marlborough Sounds

Nearby

Nelson Blenheim Abel Tasman Golden Bay Kaikōura

Marlborough Sounds: Understand

The Marlborough Sounds have an intricate series of bays, coves and waterways. Because of its isolation, boats are the most popular way to get around. One of our favourite walks is in the Marlborough Sounds; the Queen Charlotte Track.

Picton

For those visitors arriving by ferry from Wellington, Picton will be the first town in the South you set foot on. The small port town is located at the Southern end of the Marlborough Sounds and this is where the Cook Straight Ferries dock.

Marlborough Sounds: Getting In & Out

By plane:

The closest airport is Blenheim, but often the better and cheaper one to reach is Nelson.

Renting a campervan or rental car is a great way to explore New Zealand with flexibility and freedom! It’s easiest to pick up/drop off rentals from the major airports in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown. We recommend you book in advance. Check out our handy guides Travel New Zealand by Campervan or Travel New Zealand by Car.

By car:

Many explorations of the Marlborough Sounds will begin in Picton (off the ferry), which is where State Highway 1 begins in the South Island.

Or, if you’re coming from Nelson you’ll take State Highway 6 heading East and in Havelock, you can turn left onto Queen Charlotte Drive, or take the longer but straighter-road option via Blenheim and up on State Highway 1.

By bus:

Take a look at the InterCity website to plan your bus journey.

Marlborough Sounds: See & Do

Your hardest decision will be deciding which bay or inlet to stay in … because from most places in The Sounds you’ll be able to:

find a boat or kayak – it is the best way to explore The Sounds
put your walking shoes on and wander the nearby walking trails – there is a different feel when you are in the Marlborough Sounds bush, it’s really quite nice.

This Christmas we spent some time in The Sounds, and we loved the 9km Archers Track between Penzance and Elaine Bay – the trail meanders around the Tennyson Inlet and at half-way pops out at Deep Bay.

If you have a few days spare, we recommend walking (or mountain biking) the Queen Charlotte Track. You get views of both Queen Charlotte Sound and Kenepuru Sound, as well as endless bays and coves along the way. See below for more on the Queen Charlotte Track.

Another special adventure in The Sounds is swimming with fur seals and dolphins. Tours for this, as well as other boat tours leave from Picton daily.

You can take a boat trip out to d’Urville Island to go fishing, mountain biking (BYO bike on the boat) and walking. The highest point on the island is Wetekia at 726 metres high. From there are panoramic views and on a really clear day you can see Nelson, Kapiti Island, Mt Taranaki and Ruapehu!

Marlborough Sounds: Eat & Drink

The Mussel Pot in Havelock* has a lunch and a dinner sitting every day. Arguably the best mussels in New Zealand. The ‘share plate for two’ allows you to try the different types of mussels and different cooking techniques.

Another Havelock* option is the quaint pub/restaurant Captain’s Daughter. Good meals, reasonably priced and open 8 am – 8 pm daily.

A great breakfast and lunch option in the center of Picton is Gusto. Locals tell us they have the best coffee in town.

Oxley’s Bar and Kitchen in Picton serves very nice meals (at the fancier end of the pub meal spectrum). Mains range between $20-30. There’s also a $20 steak special on Monday nights. Sometimes live music.

* Havelock is 45 minutes from Picton, and is a good point to stop either from The Sounds to Nelson, or vice versa.

Marlborough Sounds: Sleep

Options in Picton

Picton Holiday Park is great for campervans with powered sites or cabins with shared kitchen and bathrooms facilities.

If you’re after something more comfortable, Jasmine Court Motel is a great option in central Picton. The motel offers spacious rooms, off-street parking and free wifi.

Our favourite way to stay in The Sounds is to rent a house. We typically go through AirBnB, but there are also websites such as bookabach.co.nz that might have options to suit your location and price.

Rent a house for a few days in The Sounds

Many of the bays have campgrounds, including this gem in Elaine Bay:

The Sounds are also known for their Resorts, so if you’re looking to splurge…

Furneaux Lodge has a number of options from bunks through to private rooms, giving you the resort experience at various prices. It’s only accessible by boat, but the lodge can transport your bags if you’re stopping over for a night on your Queen Charlotte walk.

Lochmara Lodge is an affordable eco-retreat set on 11 acres of native bush and an underwater viewing experience.

Both Furneaux and Lochmara Lodges have a cafe/bar on site.

1-Day & Multi-Day Trips Near Marlborough Sounds

Queen Charlotte Track

The Queen Charlotte Track stretches 70 km from Ship Cove to Anikiwa (which is also the suggested route), taking between 3 and 5 days to walk. For us, this is the best way to see the Marlborough Sounds. The views are sensational of the Queen Charlotte Sound, the Kenepuru Sound, plus all the bays and coves you work your way around. The colours of the water, forest and inlets are unique to this part of the country.

It’s a one-way track, which requires boat drop-off to Ship Cove. You can park in Aniwika and take the water taxi from there, which means just one water taxi trip (as they can get spendy!). Alternatively, you can start and finish in Picton, requiring two water taxi trips.

One of the different things about this trail is that the accommodation along the way is either: a) campgrounds requiring a tent, or b) up-market accommodation with food (and sometimes hot tubs). The boat operators can also take your packs between accommodation places, leaving you with a delightfully light day pack full of snacks!

As mentioned above, you can also Mountain Bike the Queen Charlotte Track. Biking is allowed on the track all year round except for the section between Ship Cove and Kenepuru Saddle, which is closed to bikes over the busy summer season (1 December to 28 February).

You can also do day trips into the Queen Charlotte Sound, departing from Picton by water taxi at 8 am, returning around 5 pm.