The Marlborough Sounds

Cook Strait ferries from Wellington arrive in Picton, a small harbour and tourist town sandwiched between the hills and the deep, placid waters of Queen Charlotte Sound. Many people stop only for a coffee, looking out over the water before pressing on, but Picton is the best base for exploring the Queen Charlotte Track, serviced by several water taxis, and a good spot for getting into the Sounds on cruises and kayak trips. The town itself has a few noteworthy attractions and it also makes a decent base for exploring the wine region around Blenheim, half an hour’s drive to the south.

Brief history

There was a European settlement in the region as early as 1827 when John Guard established a whaling station, but Picton itself didn’t come into being until the New Zealand Company purchased the town site for £300 in 1848. Picton flourished as a port and service town for the Wairau Plains to the south but predominantly as the most convenient port for travel between the islands.

Picton is a pretty spot, but you’ve barely touched the region’s beauty until you’ve explored Queen Charlotte Sound. This wildly indented series of drowned valleys encloses moody picturesque bays, small deserted sandy beaches, headlands with panoramic views and cloistered islands, while grand lumpy peninsulas offer shelter from the winds and storms, and solitude for the contemplative fisherman or kayaker. For a taste of these labyrinthine waterways, take one of the many day-cruises from Picton, but to really appreciate the tranquil beauty you’re better off kayaking round the bays or tramping the Queen Charlotte Track. The relatively calm waters of the Sounds also give the opportunity for scuba diving, checking out the rich marine life of the huge wreck of a Soviet cruise ship.

The 35km Queen Charlotte Drive between Picton and Havelock is a picturesque and spectacular backroad sliding past the flat plain at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound and climbing up the hills overlooking Pelorus Sound before descending to SH6 and Havelock itself. It is a slow and winding drive, but you may want to take it even slower by stopping to wander down to a couple of sheltered coves or up the Cullen Track (a 10min walk yields spectacular views). With water taxis providing convenient access to fabulous out-of-the-way spots, it may seem a little perverse to try to see the Marlborough Sounds by car. Doubly so when you start weaving your way around the narrow and twisting roads – don’t expect to average more than 40km/hour, but ultimately it is well worth the effort as the views through the ferns to turquoise bays are magical.

Around 18km west of Picton, a narrow road heads north to Anakiwa, the southern end of the Queen Charlotte Track. Here you’ll find a wharf used by water taxis taking hikers back to Picton, Anakiwa Lodge and Anakiwa Backpackers.