Discover the Beauty of the Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds is situated at the north-easternmost point of the top of the South Island of New Zealand. It covers 4,000 square kilometers of sounds, islands, and peninsulas.
Picton is the main large port on the mainland at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound. Picton is also the port that the passenger, vehicle and frieght ferries operate from connecting Picton to Wellington via the Tory Channel which is a major arm of Queen Charlotte Sound. Havelock is a small port town at the head of Pelorus Sound. There is also the Kenepuru Sounds.
Connecting Havelock and Picton is the Queen Charlotte Drive, a 40-kilometre winding road fringed with native forest, which offers one of the most scenic drives you're likely to encounter. It also connects with the road to Anakiwa, the end of the Queen Charlotte Track.
In July 2021 there was a weather event that caused major damage to Queen Charlotte Drive and the Kenepuru Rd, there were multiple landslides that blocked the roads. Then in August 2022 there was another weather event that caused more damage to the roads. Repairs to the roads took some time and Queen Charlotte Drive was down to single lanes controlled by traffic lights in multiple places until repairs were completed. The Kenepuru Rd reopened to the public in December 2024.
Its great to be able to travel around the Queen Charlotte Drive again without roadworks. To make the most of the drive its best to start from Havelock and drive through to Picton, this makes it easier to stop at the various lookout points and bays. Alongside the Queen Charlotte Drive is The Link Pathway, it is a free to use walking/cycle pathway on public land. It is 42km long and links the Havelock and Picton communities.
There are many varied species of birds in the Marlborough Sounds. New Zealand has three native gulls. They are the Southern Black Backed Gull (Karoro), Red Billed Gull (Tarapunga), Black Billed Gull (Tarapuka)
The Southern Black Backed Gull are one of the most abundant and familiar birds in New Zealand. These large, grumpy looking birds are known for their intelligence and ability to hassle other birds out of a meal. The Red Billed Gull can be found all over the coasts, along rivers, and lakes. Sometimes it will mix with the black billed gulls in colonies.
Recently I was on the Seafood Odysseycruise in the Marlborough Sounds and we visited Double Cove to feed the Blue Cod some leftovers from lunch. The Gulls got their fair share of food.
Picton is also a tourist destination and many cruise ships visit during the cruise ship season. The larger ships can dock at Shakespeare Bay as it’s a deep-water port. The tourists are then bused either to Picton or Blenheim to explore the local attractions (such as muesums, wineries or sample the local cusine).
In Shakespeare Bay there is the Kaipūpū Sanctuary it is only ten minutes by water from Picton. On your visit, you may see fur seals, penguins, korimako, tūi, wētā and geckos (and many more). Rimu, miro, tōtara, ferns and many more varieties of plants feature. You need to allow two hours for the 2.7km circular loop track.
Its well worth the visit.
There are many walking tracks around Picton that link to the Victoria Domain. There are some amazing views across the Queen Charlotte Sound. From the Victoria Domain you can walk along the peninsula to The Snout taking in breath taking views.
The Marlborough Sounds is a beatiful place to visit.
Many of the bays are easily accessable by car or by boat.
