Marlborough
LOCAL BUZZ Liz Buttimore – Marlborough hospitality professional. Owner/operator of the TWO HAT Arbour Restaurant. Lover of local Marlborough food and wine.
Some of my favourite things to do. 1. Book a tour and tasting at Auntsfield Estate and ask to see the original cellar door, cob cottage and the site the first vines in Marlborough were planted in 1873. In front of the old cellar door, brick fireplaces mark where an old house once stood. 2. Visit Minghettis food truck and discover their amazing sourdough breads that look like art, and bubbly, crusty, wood-fired pizzas. It’s a tiny food truck with half the interior dedicated to a roaring wood fire. It’s parked in the car park of an antiques store. 3. The shared workshop of Sweet Creations and Pink Poppie Designer Florist is something you will wish you had thought of yourself. They have a café, baking classes and floristry classes whilst also using the site for their off-site orders. Glass walls allow you to sit with your coffee and treats and watch the artists work. Book early for their weekly dessert nights.
Pretty as
PICTON
THE LITTLE TOWN ON THE EDGE OF THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS.
Picton © Marlborough Tourism you have a friendly dog then this
gives you kilometres of leash-free exercise. There is a skateboard area, secret climbing tree, poetry boulders, bridge crossings and if you are lucky the Blenheim Riverside Railway train will come through. Riding this train is one of my favourite things to do. You could plan your walk around the train timetable and get a ride back into town or head out and see the exciting Ōmaka Aviation Museum. 5. Take the stunning ocean roads from Blenheim to Havelock via Picton. From Blenheim, the Port Underwood Rd takes you past many hidden beaches and walkways. Once in Picton, refuel at the Picton Village Bakery then take the equally beautiful Queen Charlotte drive across to the lovely town of Havelock, the heart of our green-shell mussel industry. This may be the most picturesque drive you can take. These are narrow and windy roads so please be careful.
M
ight we suggest starting at The Picton Bakery: the pastries are tasty and the simplicity of sipping a coffee beside the foreshore is divine.
To work up your appetite again, Victoria Domain is accessible from town and has several easy walking trails. Tirohanga Track is also popular for its striking vistas over the Sounds and Picton.
Picton is of course the harbour that welcomes ferries from Wellington; the journey across the Cook Strait a rite of passage for Kiwis.
Historywise, the world’s oldest merchant ship lives at the Edwin Fox Ship & Visitor Centre, and because whaling was once a big deal here, its history, albeit confronting, can be better understood at the National Whale Centre and Picton Heritage & Whaling Museum. If you’d rather appreciate their living magnificence, boat tours from the wharf specialise in orca spotting, as well as dolphin encounters.
Once here, getting out on the water is a must. There are several operators with vessels to whisk you across Queen Charlotte Sound. Their add-on activities range from wine tasting and historical stop-offs to bird watching on Motuara Island. If you’re a foodie, book the Greenshell Mussel Cruise. Departing at dusk, it pairs sightseeing and sunsets with fresh seafood.
DON’T MISS! • A walk to Essons Valley Reservoir to see the glowworms • The gorgeous outlooks while driving up the Kenepuru Sound
4. I love the beautiful Taylor River Reserve Walkway. If
• Fishing charters for delicious seafood
• The region’s far-reaching water taxis • Art-house movies at Picton Cinemas • Picton’s lively art scene at The Diversion Gallery
LEFT: Picton © Getty Images INSET ABOVE: Fresh mussels on boat © Marlborough Tourism
“SPECTACULAR WATERFRONT LOCATION”
BAY VISTA
Waterfront
PHONE US 24/7
MOTEL
Devon St
www.bayvistapicton.co.nz
303-307 Waikawa Road • Picton
Durham St
0800 (BAY VISTA) 229 847
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Tariff: 1-2 persons from $130-$195, $25 each extra person
Broadway
Kent St
BOOK DIRECT & SAVE $$
Dublin St
York St
• All 1 & 2-bedroom apartment-style units have this magnificent view. • Walk to café/restaurant close by in Waikawa Marina. • Only 5min drive from town & Ferry, courtesy transfers available.
Lag oo nR d
FERRY TERMINALS
Ferrylink
MOTEL
2019
Ferrylink Motel, 43 Kent Street, Picton Phone +64 3 573 7097 Email: info@ferrylinkmotel.co.nz
• Late arrivals welcome • On direct route to Ferry Terminals
• WiFi available • Off-road parking • Guest laundry
• FREE pick-up and drop-off • 50+ SKY Digital TV Channels
RESERVATIONS: 0800 22 44 13 BOOK ONLINE: www.ferrylinkmotel.co.nz
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