6 minute read
Road Trip - Journey Through Blenheim
Blenheim to Wairau Valley via SH6 and SH63 - 30mins - 38km
Blenheim to Havelock via Picton and SH1 - 1hr 11 mins - 61.5km
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SIDE TRIP - Linkwater to Portage (Marlborough Sounds) via Henepuru Rd - 47mins - 29km
© AA Traveller 2021
Head north from the flat grape-growing plains of Blenheim with its regimental lines of vines, driving towards the picturesque port of Picton, gateway to the South Island. You’ll pass historic sites and dramatic woodlands before arriving at the Cook Strait ferry terminal.
From Picton the road continues to Havelock along one of the country’s most scenic stretches – Queen Charlotte Drive. Allow plenty of extra time to stop and take photos along this portion of your journey to the quaint aquaculture centre of Havelock. This is the start of the Treasured Pathway – a heritage highway which ends at Collingwood in Golden Bay.
HIGHLIGHTS
Hooked on Wairau Sounds boat trip
© Destination Marlborough
PICTON HARBOUR Where picturesque village meets a bustling harbour. Dine on the foreshore and absorb the busy marina.
QUEEN CHARLOTTE DRIVE The road between Picton and Havelock is winding and wonderful, with breathtaking views of the Marlborough Sounds.
LOCHMARA LODGE Take a 20-minute boat trip from Picton to this popular eco-hotel and arts destination on the shores of Queen Charlotte Sound. It’s also a wildlife recovery centre and education centre with an underwater observatory.
MARLBOROUGH WINE TOUR & SEAFOOD CRUISE Visit Marlborough wineries and taste their wares, then relax on a seafood cruise and learn about marine farming while sampling freshly steamed seafood and wine.
KAIPŪPŪ WILDLIFE SANCTUARY in Shakespeare Bay, near Picton. A mainland island accessible by boat with a 2.7km walking track through bush full of protected birdlife.
MINERS CAMP AND FARMSTAY Found on Queen Charlotte Track, and originally miners’ quarters (you can still go and see the mine) guests get to create a ‘paddock to plate’ home-cooked dinner.
BOB’S BAY RESERVE The bay is pebbled but what it lacks in fine sand, it makes up for in aqua-blue water, sheltered swims and a grassy verge. It’s 30 minutes on foot from Shelly Beach near Picton.
MUSSELS Havelock is green-shell mussel capital of New Zealand.
Going by both its English moniker, SHIP COVE, and its original Māori name, MERETOTO, this bay was navigated by both renowned Māori voyager, Kupe, and Captain James Cook. Interpretation panels detail the stories of both men.
TUAMARINA CEMETERY, 10km north of Blenheim, includes a memorial to the Wairau affray in 1843, the first conflict between the Māori and the Europeans following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
EDWIN FOX SHIP & VISITOR CENTRE at Picton’s Dunbar Wharf is the resting place of the world’s ninth oldest ship, built 166 years ago in Calcutta.
Queen Charlotte Sounds
© Ron Bardsley
WAIRAU BAR One of Aoteroa's oldest archaeological sites, this 19-hectare gravel bar has formed in Cloudy Bay, where the Wairau River meets the sea. Recovered artefacts date back to 1300 CE and correlate to New Zealand's earliest human inhabitants. Drive from Picton in 20 minutes.
Cycling, Marlborough Sounds
@ Destination Marlborough
PICTON
Highlights of this pretty town include its jostling marina and a landscape that throbs with island sanctuariesand wildlife; the Edwin Fox Ship & Visitor Centre (complete with namesake 166-yearold ship) and the Picton Heritage & Whaling Museum sits on London Quay. Art lovers should nip into the contemporary Good Day Gallery, which hosts hundreds of artworks and hides an art museum just behind: open for free art tours most days at 11am. For adventurers, Blumine Island’s scenic reserve is 22km off Picton’s shoreline, with native birdlife, historical war bunkers and a Department of Conservation campsite. Water taxis or kayaks are your best means of getting there.
OTHER PICTON HIGHLIGHTS: - Queen Charlotte Track - Picton Heritage & Whaling Museum - Tirohanga Track Havelock Museum Edwin Fox Historic Ship
Nydia Track
© Tourism Marlborough
SIDE TRIP - MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS
The pristine waters of the Marlborough Sounds – with 1500km of winding coastline – is stunning at every twist and turn, every beach and bay. These ancient valleys now filled with water accommodate amazing marine life including dolphins,seals and whales. Boat trips, kayaking, tramping and mountain biking are all popular. You’ll find many options for accommodation – from luxury lodges and eco sanctuaries to camping grounds.
Ship Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound was the base for Captain James Cook and his crew when they travelled here in The Endeavour in 1770. A monument commemorates the visit. During their stay they raised a flag on nearby Motuara Island to claim sovereignty over the surrounding area and named it Queen Charlotte Sound in honour of King George III’s consort. Māori have always known it as Tōtaranui (‘nui’ meaning big and ‘tōtara’ the tree, due to the tree-like shape made by the inlets).
Ship Cove can be reached by boat but also by walking the Queen Charlotte Track, the views from which are stunning, including not just of Queen Charlotte Sound but also, on the other side of the peninsula, Kenepuru Sound. The largest though is Pelorus Sound, which is 42km long.
TOP WALKS
NYDIA TRACK A moderate two-day, 27km tramp with superb views from the top of the two saddles it crosses.
WAIRAU LAGOONS WALKWAY This flat loop track located 35km south of Picton is ideal for kids. Taking around three and a half hours, it follows the lagoon shoreline with good bird watching to the rusting remains of the Waverley ship.
QUEEN CHARLOTTE TRACK Walk or bike this iconic, well defined 70km stretch of the Marlborough Sounds, from Ship Cove (the most popular starting point) to Anakiwa. Most walkers allow four or five days.
THE CABLE BAY WALKWAY This popular walkway situated near the city of Nelson passes through rolling hills and sections of native forest, and offers wonderful coastal views of the Boulder Bank, Nelson City and Kahurangi and Abel Tasman National Parks. Journey time is 7 hours.
SPRING CREEK Discover this sleepy township 20 minutes south of Picton. The Spring Creek Holiday park offers a family-friendly campsite beside the flowing Spring Creek.
SIDE TRIP - WAIRAU VALLEY
Wairau wineries in Marlborough
© Destination Marlborough
Opening out onto the Wairau Plain where Renwick and Blenheim are sited, this valley is where Marlborough’s most famous wine industry is found.
RAPAURA RD in the heart of Marlborough’s top grape growing region, discover various vineyards and the Vines Village, with boutique shopping, a café and Whitehaven’s cellar door.
THE GOLDEN MILE is actually a 6km bike ride through Rapaura and Renwick that features nine wineries. Win a prize by becoming a Golden Milechampion.
CORK & KEG You’ll get a warm welcome at this popular English-style pub in Renwick.
RENWICK MUSEUM Opened in 1967, this museum follows the town’s journey from the pioneering days of the 1850s.
DROP INTO HAVELOCK
This peaceful port grants access to the Mahau, Kenepuru and Pelorus sounds, with many boat trips on offer and water taxis available. The Pelorus Mail Boat departs from here while other boat trips include the popular Greenshell Mussel Cruise, which highlights the crustacean’s influence on the area. Located in the Havelock Marina, Mills Bay Mussels is open Wednesday to Sunday for free mussel tastings, and the famed Mussel Pot bistro specialises in green-shell mussels and fresh seafood.
Mussels in Havelock
© Tourism Marlborough
