Picton (New Zealand)

In 1962, the New Zealand Railways' chose Picton as the South Island terminal for its new Cook Strait road and rail ferry service, now known as the Interislander. Ferry GMV Aramoana provided the first roll-on-roll-off ferry service between two islands, dramatically cutting travel times and proving extremely popular. By 1976, Aramoana has been joined on the route by three other ferries and together they had effectively wiped out their maritime inter-island competitors, including the long-standing 'Steamer Express' overnight ferry between Wellington and Lyttelton. Today, five ferries operated by both Interislander and Bluebridge ply the Wellington to Picton route.

• Picton i-SITE

  phone: +64 3 520 3113
  address: The Foreshore

By boat

Passenger and vehicle ferries sail several times daily from Wellington to Picton, taking about 3½ hours.

• Bluebridge

  phone: +64 4 471-6188
  Offers 3-4 sailings per day with two ships: Straitsman and Strait Feronia.

• Interislander

  phone: +64 4 498 3302
  Offers 5 sailings per day with three ships: Aratere, Kaiarahi and Kaitaki.

Cruise ships also call at Picton during the summer season (October to April), ranging from small boutique ships to mega-ships such as regular visitor Ovation of the Seas (347 m long and 4,500 passengers). Cruise ships up to 245 m long berth at Waitohi Wharf alongside the Cook Strait ferries, while larger cruise ships berth at Waimahara Wharf on adjacent Shakespeare Bay and passengers are shuttled from the wharf to the i-Site Information centre in central Picton.
One reason cruise ships call on Picton is for the sail in/out through the Queen Charlotte Sound. Very picturesque, so make sure you get a good viewing position.

By plane

• Sounds Air operates frequent flights between Wellington and Picton from Picton Airport, 5 minutes south from Picton off SH1. A one-way fare is around $99, making the 25-minute flight a time-saving alternative to the ferry. Booking on-line is the cheapest choice. Sounds Air will pick you up from Picton by arrangement. Sounds Air also fly direct to Nelson for not much extra, if you aren't inspired to visit Picton.

By train

The Coastal Pacific (formerly TranzCoastal), +64 4 495-0775 (email bookings@kiwirailscenic.co.nz, fax +64 4 472-8903, Freephone 0800 TRAINS (0800 872 467) (NZ only)) service operates daily between October and April from Christchurch via Kaikoura and connects with ferry sailings. This is a spectacular way to experience the Kaikoura coast. Departs Christchurch 07:00, arriving Picton 13:15. Departs Picton 14:15, arriving Christchurch 20:30.

By bus

There are bus and shuttle services that connect with the ferry sailings travelling to Christchurch via Kaikoura, Nelson via Havelock and one shuttle to Fox Glacier via Murchison and Greymouth. All services travel via Blenheim.

• Intercity Coach
• Nelson Lakes Shuttles specialise in providing transport for trampers, hikers, climbers, mountain bikers and skiers. They run on demand and scheduled services to St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes National Park, Kahurangi National Park, the Richmond Ranges as well as other tramping destinations further afield.

By car

State Highway 1 connects Picton with Blenheim and the remainder of the South Island.
Traffic from Nelson have the option of taking the Queen Charlotte Drive, which leaves State Highway 6 at Havelock and snakes along the Marlborough Sounds to Picton. Queen Charlotte Drive, despite being far shorter by distance does not save any driving time but does provide magnificent views and the sound of birdsong as you slowly negotiate its myriad hairpin bends. Allow additional time for photography.
Almost all rental car companies will have an office in Picton so you do not need to take rental cars on the ferry. A number of rental car companies are clustered around the Ferry Terminal. Sometimes they will offer deals relocating cars (usually) to Christchurch.
On-street parking in central Picton is free but limited to 60 minutes. All-day off-street parking is available for $5 in signposted carparks off High St and Wellington St.

Picton has no local bus service. The "one-horse" town centre is easily explored on foot. If you need to get around and don't feel like driving, take a taxi.

• Gateway Taxis

By boat

Queen Charlotte Sound is largely inaccessible by road, so it best explored by boat. Most water taxis depart from the , on London Quay at the top end of Wellington Street.

• Arrow Water Taxis

  phone: +64 3 573 8229 or +64 27 444 4689
  address: Town Wharf, London Quay

• Beachcomber Cruises

  phone: +64 3 573 6175
  address: Town Wharf, London Quay

• Cougar Line

  address: The Waterfront

• Dolphin Watch Ecotours

  address: Dunbar Wharf, Picton Foreshore

• Endeavour Express

  address: Picton Foreshore

• Overture Luxury Charters

  address: Waikawa marina, Picton

• Picton Water Taxis

  address: London Quay

• The Marlborough Sounds

• The Edwin Fox

  phone: +64 3 573-6868
  address: Picton Foreshore
  Built in 1853, the Edwin Fox is the 9th oldest ship in the world and is being restored.

• Picton Community Museum

  phone: +64 3 573-8283
  address: London Quay
• The Waterfront

• Walk to the SnoutBetween Picton and Waikawa Bay is a peninsula covered in a mixture of native and exotic bush. Tracks range from a few minutes to 3½ hr. Cross the bridge at the eastern end of the Picton foreshore. The tracks begin at the foot of the hill. The Marlborough District Council produces a map available from the tourist information centre.

• Drive to Karaka PointWaikawa Bay is a suburb of Picton where the majority of the region's private yachts and power boats are moored. A 10-min walk begins at the car park and passes the site of a Maori pa (fortified village) before a lookout and stony beach.

• Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company

  phone: +64 3 573-6078
  address: London Quay
  2007 New Zealand Tourism Award Winner. Mountain biking, kayaking, walking the Queen Charlotte Walkway. Tours or freedom hire. Great team, professional service.

• Picton Model Engineers

  address: Foreshore
  Elevated track: 21.5, 31.5 and 5 in gauges, boat pond.

• Picton Golf Club

  phone: +64 3 573-7750
  address: SH1 Koromiko

• Kiwi Mini Golf

  phone: +64 3 573-7136
  address: Foreshore
• 25 minutes from Picton is the Marlborough wine region, famous for its sauvignon blanc. The region has over 35 cellar doors offering tastings for visitors to compare wines ranging from boutique family producers to well-recognised names.

Precious minerals may be worth looking into, such as the lustrous greenstone from the wild, boulder-strewn rivers of the area. The area also favors a concentration of craftspeople, especially glass blowers, potters, weavers and wood carvers, who have been attracted by the high quality of raw materials.

• The Gallery

  phone: +64 3 573-7908
  address: 20 High St
  Boutique art gallery dealing in New Zealand art, art jewellery, NZ art gifts and photography from Marlborough and New Zealand.

• Le Café

  address: 12-14 London Quay
  Great food breakfast, lunch or dinner. Large selection of local wines are beers, often organic food and sometimes a live music scene in the evenings.

• Gusto

  phone: +64 3 573 7171
  address: 33 High Street
  Small funky cafe. Good coffee.

• Picton Village Bakkerij

  phone: +64 3 573 7082
  address: 46 Auckland St
  Award-winning Dutch bakery selling European-style sandwiches, breads and cakes.

• Seumus's Irish Bar

  phone: +64 3 573 5050
  address: 25 Wellington St
  Has one of the best pints of Guinness in the southern hemisphere.

• Cafe Cortado

  phone: +64 3 573-5630
  address: Cnr of High St & London Quay
  Great place to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Budget

• The Jugglers Rest

  address: 8 Canterbury St
  Small hostel, no bunks. Sunny chill-out areas in lush gardens. Soak in the fire bath under stars.

• Sequoia Lodge & Backpackers

  address: 3 Nelson Square

• The Villa Backpackers Lodge

  phone: +64 3 573 6598
  address: 34 Auckland St
  A converted 110-year old boutique character home.

Mid-range

• Jasmine Court - Traveller's Inn

  phone: +64 3 573-7110
  address: 78 Wellington St
  Quiet 5-star motel accommodation with king beds, spa baths, SKY TV, wireless internet.

• Picton Beachcomber Inn

  phone: +64 3 573 8900
  address: 27 Waikawa Rd

• Waikawa Bay Seafront Apartments

  address: Waikawa Bay

Splurge

• Apartments on the Waterfront

  phone: +64 3 573-5220
  address: 45 Beach Rd

• The Yacht Club Hotel

  phone: +64 3 573-7002
  address: 25 Waikawa Rd

Picton, like all small towns in New Zealand, has a volunteer fire brigade, with firefighters called out by a siren atop the station in High Street. The siren is tested every Monday night (excluding public holidays) at 19:00.

• Picton Baptist Church

  phone: +64 3 573-6315
  address: 293 Waikawa Road
  This is a great way to meet genuine Kiwis and everyone is welcome.

• Blenheim – the largest town in Marlborough
• Havelock – also in the Marlborough Sounds, and the green-shell mussel capital of the world
• Nelson Bays – the sunshine city of Nelson with its art galleries, theatres, fine restaurants, neo-gothic Christ Church cathedral, beaches and popular national parks