Discover the Marlborough Sounds

Havelock • Kenepuru • Pelorus • Mahau • French Pass • d'Urville Island

At the top of the South Island of New Zealand lies the Marlborough Sounds, consisting of four Sounds - Queen Charlotte, Pelorus, Kenepuru and Mahau, covering an area of about 1000 square kilometres and there is approximately 1200 km of coastline.

They are a series of drowned valleys formed millions of years ago. It’s a place of stunning beauty and contrasts with sheltered bays and waterways, to high rugged coastlines, grassy green valleys, farmland and regenerating bush. Mt Stokes is the only sub-alpine area within the Sounds and the highest peak at 1203m (3948 ft) The Sounds are sparsely populated and properties are mostly scattered throughout them.

The Pelorus, Kenepuru and Mahau Sounds, Rai Valley, French Pass, d’Urville Island and Okiwi Bay make up the larger part and you can easily get into the Sounds through Picton or Havelock by road, sea or air. There’s the Queen Charlotte Drive, Kenepuru Road, and the road to Okiwi Bay and the French Pass and Bulwer, which allows you to take your time to explore on the way to your destination. The Marlborough Sounds is easy to get to and a great place to stop off at on your journey through the top of the South Island.

Havelock - Greenshell™ mussel capital of the world, is on the State Highway 6 between Blenheim and Nelson, and port to the mussel barges that service the many mussel farms that grow the green lip mussels in abundance in our clean, green waters. The newly expanded marina is often a safe haven for boaties from around the world. It’s a small seaside township of 450 residents with a grocery shop, numerous cafes, hotel, motels, craft shops, galleries and more.

Picton is the Port for Marlborough and one of the main gateways into Marlborough, with the Ferry Terminal for the Ferries that cross the Cook Strait from Wellington, and the overseas ocean-liners that visit. It’s the end of the rail-line that comes from Kaikoura, Christchurch and further south. Buses services are numerous coming from West Coast, Nelson, or the East Coast from Christchurch and southward.

As you can see, we’re easy to find, so come and stay awhile.