People who visit Marlborouh are often heard to say “I love this place” – and with good reason – for it is at the very heart of New Zealand in every way. The region sits almost perfectly equidistant from Invercargill in the South and Auckland in the North. Separated from the capital Wellington by the 22-kilometre-wide Cook Strait, the two cities are only 20 minutes apart by air.
And it’s so easy to come and go.
Picton is the South Island connection for the inter-island passenger and freight ferries. Blenheim sits at the nerve centre of the Top of the South’s transport systems. Main highways head north to Picton and the connections to the North Island, west across to Nelson and the West Coast, and south to Kaikoura, Christchurch and beyond.
The main trunk rail line provides passenger and freight connections from Picton to Christchurch and south with the daily Coastal Pacific passenger train offering a picturesque and relaxing journey through dramatic and ever-changing scenery. Marlborough’s principal airport sees regular turboprop flights direct to Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North, and Auckland.
