Marlborough: Wine, Trails and History

Marlborough combines wine and aviation history with trails through forests, along rivers and to viewpoints overlooking sounds and river mouths. For planning your trip, a simple first question is therefore: should the focus be on wine, cultural history or getting active in the landscape? The experiences described range from short walks to multi-day routes, giving your search for holiday accommodation a concrete starting point.

Explore forest and river landscapes

At Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve, forest and river landscapes meet. The area includes one of the last stands of river terrace alluvial forest in the Marlborough region. Two trails offer different ways to explore this landscape: the Tawa Walk is an easy, wheelchair-accessible trail through forest and over river terraces. The Circle Walk follows the Te Hoiere/Pelorus River for 380 m and is wheelchair accessible. If you prefer a shorter route for outings together, the Circle Walk can be judged by its stated length; the Tawa Walk is distinguished by its route through forest and over river terraces.

From scenic loops to longer routes

The Nydia Track is 27 km long and takes walkers and cyclists through lush coastal forest and regenerating forest, over two saddles with views and across farmland. It is described as a two-day walking route; by mountain bike, the route takes 5 to 8 hours. These different time estimates help you distinguish between your planned activities without equating the route with a short walk.

There are also two clearly distinct trails at Cullen Point: the Coastal Track is a one-hour loop with views of Pelorus Sound and the town of Havelock. The Lookout Track is a ten-minute return walk to a viewpoint. From there, you can see Mahau Sound and the Kaituna and Pelorus river mouths. If you want to make a viewpoint a specific destination, you can take these two trail descriptions into account when choosing your activities.

The Queen Charlotte Track stretches 73.5 km from historic Meretoto/Ship Cove to Anakiwa in Queen Charlotte Sound and is part of the Te Araroa Trail. Its named start and end points and total length make clear that this describes a different kind of trail experience from the loop and lookout trails at Cullen Point.

Wine and aviation history

The Wine Exhibition is a permanent museum exhibition about the history of wine and winegrowing in Marlborough, New Zealand. Anyone interested in the development of regional winegrowing will find a cultural history topic here alongside outdoor experiences. Clos Henri is a premium winery in Marlborough owned by the Bourgeois family. Organic wines are available for tasting at its Cellar Door.

For trips to wineries, Explore Marlborough offers cycle tours and driving tours in the Marlborough wine region. Cycle tours can be guided or self-guided; they follow flat, easy routes suitable for all ages and fitness levels. This provides an expressly described way to combine wine country and activity. Whether you choose a guided tour or a self-guided ride depends on which of these two tour formats you prefer.

The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre at the historically significant Omaka Aerodrome in Marlborough is dedicated to aviation history. “Knights of the Sky” presents aircraft and artefacts from the First World War; “Dangerous Skies” tells stories from the Second World War. The Centre combines a rare collection of First and Second World War aircraft with creative exhibition techniques. When planning your trip, you can weigh up regional winegrowing history, landscape experiences and exhibitions on military aviation.

Marlborough offers a range of themes and trail formats, from a permanent museum exhibition to a 73.5 km track.

Marlborough subregions

The subregions include Blenheim, Marlborough District, Maraetai Bay, Waikawa, Seddon, Wairau Valley, North Bank, Rapaura, Waihopai Valley, Hawkesbury, Fairhall, Lower Dashwood and Ward.

For the broader travel overview: New Zealand.