You don’t need a car to get to Marlborough

You don’t need a car to get to Marlborough

There’s plenty on offer in the Marlborough region this summer, so leave your car at home and come on over.

You definitely don’t need your car for a day’s fishing, diving or kayaking in the Marlborough Sounds, or to walk or bike the Queen Charlotte Track. Access to the Sounds is a short walk along the picturesque Picton Waterfront to jump onto a water taxi, the mail boat or float plane, or to grab a kayak, hire a boat or catch a cruise.

Instead of paying for your car to come across Cook Strait, save the fare and indulge yourself and your family by relaxing in a boat-only-access lodge or bach in the Sounds – there are plenty of affordable places to stay to suit all tastes.

Or pack your mountainbike instead and take your choice of riding the many great off-road tracks in Marlborough, or biking leisurely around the region’s wineries, vineyards, breweries and gourmet food producers.

The Queen Charlotte Track offers walkers and mountainbikers a spectacular 70km experience from Ship Cove to Anakiwa, with accommodation options and water transport services that take your luggage for you. Without a car there’s plenty of choice in how you get to Marlborough from the North Island. Cruise across Cook Strait on the Interislander and Bluebridge ferries, catch a direct flight to Blenheim from Auckland and Wellington on Air New Zealand, or fly from Wellington to either Blenheim or Picton with Sounds Air.

If you have arrived by ferry, you can easily catch a ride to Blenheim on a shuttle bus or onboard the daily Tranz Coastal train. Or book an afternoon wine tour and get dropped off at your accommodation at the end of the day. Guided wine tours of the world-famous Marlborough wine region take all the hassle out of having to navigate and worry about drinking and driving while sampling some of the world’s greatest wines.

You don’t even need your own car to explore New Zealand’s largest working farm – Molesworth Station, with options to go on a 4WD safari, horse trek, or mountainbike. Or see Marlborough from a different angle by taking a scenic flight on a biplane after exploring the extraordinary Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre – home to Sir Peter Jackson’s phenomenal collection of WW1 aircraft and memorabilia.

But if you really do need a vehicle for your Marlborough and South Island holiday, all the major rental car and bus companies have depots in Picton, enabling you to carry on your South Island journey after your stay in Marlborough.

Plan your carless holiday in Marlborough today – visit www.lovemarlborough.co.nz or call (03) 577-8080 to talk to a local expert at the Picton or Blenheim i-SITEs.

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