Marlborough

Heart of New Zealand's largest wine region, with Sauvignon Blanc vineyards stretching across the plains; to the north lie the Marlborough Sounds and the Queen Charlotte Track, and the area is also known for the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre and Havelock's green-lipped mussels.

Blenheim sits in the northeast corner of New Zealand's South Island. It is the main town of the Marlborough region and one of the sunniest places in the country. The Wairau Valley plains are carpeted with vineyards, and Marlborough produces around three-quarters of New Zealand's wine, its Sauvignon Blanc world-famous; about 30 km to the north are the port town of Picton and the Marlborough Sounds, a network of drowned river valleys. The best time to visit is Dec–Apr: summers are dry and sunny, ideal for cycling between wineries and getting out on the water in the Sounds. The Marlborough Wine & Food Festival takes place in February, and Mar–Apr is harvest season; winters are cool and fairly dry, with fewer boat cruises running. The area divides into three parts. First, the wine country around Blenheim and Renwick, home to leading estates such as Cloudy Bay and Brancott Estate – hire a bike or join a wine tour – plus the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, a first-rate aviation museum. Second, Picton and Queen Charlotte Sound: take the mail boat around the Sounds, watch dolphins, go ashore at Ship Cove, or hike the Queen Charlotte Track. Third, Havelock and Pelorus Sound to the west: feast on green-lipped mussels, take a mussel-farm cruise, then visit the native forest and river pools of Pelorus Bridge. Getting there: the ferry from Wellington to Picton takes about 3.5 hours, or fly to Blenheim Airport in about 25 minutes. Sights are spread out, so drive yourself or join a tour. Allow 2–4 days, plus another 3–5 days to hike the full track. Never drive after wine tasting – New Zealand's drink-driving penalties are strict.

Top sights

• Marlborough Wine Trail (Wairau Valley) – A winery tour route through New Zealand's largest wine region, centered on the town of Renwick, where you can cycle between dozens of winer…
• Marlborough Sounds – A vast network of drowned river valley inlets, with a coastline of 1,500 km, where boat trips, kayaking, and dolphin encounters are all hig…
• Queen Charlotte Track – One of New Zealand's most popular multi-day trails, following 70 km of ridgeline above the Sounds, which can be walked in sections combined…
• Cloudy Bay Vineyards – The star winery that made Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc famous worldwide. The tasting room and lawn food carts are ideal for spending a relax…
• Brancott Estate Cellar Door – A pioneering winery that planted the first commercial grapevines in Marlborough in 1973. Its hilltop tasting room overlooks the whole viney…
• Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre – A World War I and II aviation museum with exhibitions curated with input from Peter Jackson, the director of The Lord of the Rings. Its mov…
• Marlborough Museum – A regional museum in Brayshaw Heritage Park that tells the story of early Māori settlement, whaling and the wine industry.
• Wither Hills Farm Park – Grazing hills on the southern edge of Blenheim, with more than 60 kilometers of trails for views over the Wairau Plains and the town.
• Seymour Square – A garden square in the center of Blenheim, where a clock-tower war memorial and a fountain make it the most photogenic landmark in the smal…
• Pollard Park – Blenheim’s most beautiful urban park, with a prize-winning rose garden, a stream with small bridges, and golden trees in autumn.
• Makana Confections – A handmade chocolate workshop along the winery road. You can watch the chocolates being made through the window and try free samples. It is…
• Lake Grassmere Saltworks – New Zealand's only sea salt works, where the evaporation ponds turn a dreamy pink on sunny days, making it a photo stop along State Highway…
• Pukatea / Whites Bay – The most popular beach near Blenheim, a golden sandy bay framed by green hills, with walking tracks and a campground.
• Picton – A harbour town at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, the gateway for ferries arriving in the South Island and the departure point for sound…
• Edwin Fox Maritime Museum – The hull of the world's ninth-oldest wooden sailing ship, which once carried convicts and migrants and now rests in a dry dock in Picton.
• The Snout Track – A ridge walk on a peninsula departing from Picton, ending at a lookout over Queen Charlotte Sound and the ferries entering and leaving the…
• Ship Cove / Meretoto – A historic bay where Captain Cook anchored five times, with a Cook memorial, and the starting point of the Queen Charlotte Track.
• Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary – A predator-free bird sanctuary where you can see rare native birds such as the South Island saddleback and South Island robin up close.
• Havelock – The World's Greenshell Mussel Capital, a harbour town where you can eat mussels and take a mail boat cruise on Pelorus Sound.
• Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere – The longest waterway among the Marlborough Sounds, lined with mussel farm rafts and frequented by dolphins and rare king shags.
• Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve – Jade-green river pools in native forest, with a suspension bridge, short walks, and the filming location of the barrel ride in The Hobbit.

Where to eat

• Arbour – A refined restaurant in Marlborough's wine country, holding two hats from Cuisine and named Best Regional Restaurant in…
• Number 11 at Wairau River – A lunch restaurant at Wairau River Wines on Rapaura Road, serving seasonal local sharing plates with the winery's own w…
• Gramados – A family-run Brazilian restaurant on Blenheim's main street, serving Brazilian home cooking with New Zealand ingredient…
• Scotch Wine Bar – A wine bar, restaurant and wine shop in central Blenheim, where a French chef cooks French classics with local ingredie…
• Frank's Oyster Bar – An oyster bar and small eatery in central Blenheim where chef Sam Webb makes sharing plates from local seafood and prod…

Itineraries

• Top of the South: Fjords, Wineries & Coast – Travel from Picton through the Marlborough wineries to Abel Tasman and Golden Bay, featuring high sunshine hours and sh…
• New Zealand North to South: Auckland to Queenstown – Head south from Auckland through geothermal areas and Wellington, cross the strait, and explore the lakes and fjords to…