Nelson & Marlborough at a glance

Sun, sea, vineyards, and three national parks within reach

Best For

Wine touring, hiking and cycling, families, kayaking, sunny beach holidays

Accessibility

Abel Tasman National Park has accessible beach areas at Kaiteriteri. Marlborough wine region cellar doors are generally accessible with flat terrain. Nelson’s centre has good footpath coverage. Many Sounds water taxi operators can accommodate mobility requirements with advance notice.

Overview

Nelson and Marlborough occupy the top of New Zealand’s South Island, connected by State Highway 6 and the Queen Charlotte Drive. Nelson city is New Zealand’s sunniest region by annual sunshine hours, averaging over 2,400 hours per year according to NIWA records. Marlborough, to the east, is home to the Marlborough Sounds — a drowned river valley system creating more than 1,500 kilometres of coastline — and produces approximately 77 percent of New Zealand’s total wine output, predominantly Sauvignon Blanc. The two regions are jointly serviced by ferry connections from Wellington via Picton, making this the most common South Island entry point for travellers arriving from the North Island.

Top Things to Do

Abel Tasman National Park

Abel Tasman is New Zealand’s smallest national park and its most visited, located 60 kilometres southwest of Nelson city. The park’s 51-kilometre Coastal Track is one of New Zealand’s nine Great Walks, passing golden sand beaches, granite headlands, and native bush. Water taxis operate from Marahau and Kaiteriteri, allowing visitors to walk sections of the track and return by boat.

Marlborough Wine Region

The Wairau and Awatere Valleys around Blenheim contain over 140 wineries, many of which offer cellar door tastings. Cloudy Bay, Brancott Estate, and Villa Maria are among the internationally recognised producers in the region. The Marlborough Wine Trail is a mapped cycling and driving route connecting key cellar doors.

Queen Charlotte Track

The Queen Charlotte Track runs 73 kilometres through the Marlborough Sounds from Ship Cove to Anakiwa. The track passes through regenerating native bush above Queen Charlotte Sound and Kenepuru Sound, with water taxi access from Picton enabling multi-day walking or mountain biking with bag transfer services. Access from Queen Charlotte Drive.

Nelson Lakes National Park

Nelson Lakes National Park, located 100 kilometres south of Nelson city, surrounds Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa at the northern end of the Southern Alps. The park is home to extensive beech forest, subalpine terrain, and significant kiwi and bird recovery programmes. Lake Rotoiti’s Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project is one of New Zealand’s most successful mainland island predator control initiatives.

Farewell Spit

Farewell Spit is a 26-kilometre sand spit at the northern tip of the South Island and a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance. The spit is home to tens of thousands of migratory wading birds, including bar-tailed godwits that complete the longest non-stop migration of any bird species — from Alaska to New Zealand. Guided tours operate from Collingwood.

Getting There

Nelson Airport (NSN) is served by Air New Zealand from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Picton is the primary ferry arrival point from Wellington via the Interislander or Bluebridge ferry services; the crossing takes approximately 3.5 hours. The drive from Picton to Nelson takes approximately 1.5 hours via State Highway 6.