Journey to Marlborough Sounds New
Zealand, to Experience a Water Adventure

Marlborough Sounds New Zealand is a water adventurer’s dream come true. This collection of straits, undersea valleys, and picturesque islands offers numerous opportunities for fishing, boating, kayaking, and diving. It’s not a heavily populated area, which means you’ll be able to enjoy its pristine natural beauty. Some of New Zealand’s rare animals and species unique to the area might be encountered along the way– including seals, dolphins, birds, and penguins.

How can an adventure in Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, begin? Tourists can start in the large port of Picton on the mainland, to which they can travel by car or train. Many of Marlborough Sounds’ smaller islands can only be accessed by sea, but ferries exist to take travelers to and from the mainland. Those out for a more individualized adventure can take a sailboat or kayak through the Sounds. The nearby small port of Waikawa offers accommodations for boats as well as tourists.

Most of the Marlborough Sounds are quiet and peaceful– extremely suitable for water travel of all sorts. You can enjoy virtually all of the main channels without having safety concerns. But be warned: stay away from the Cook Strait and nearby channels– especially the French Pass south of D’Urville Island; water in these channels often behaves turbulently, and intense winds pose a problem for travelers as well.

Immense mountainlike rock formations scattered among an intricate web of waterways are unforgettable sights for tourists. Those who stop at some of the islands will also enjoy hiking on land to observe the pristine landscape and perhaps encounter some remarkable creatures along the way. Motuara Island features a renowned bird sanctuary where you’ll get a chance to observe birds of spectacular beauty: the South Island robins.

The Marlborough Sounds are famous as New Zealand’s source of Greenshell Mussels, with their unforgettable unique taste. Cafes and restaurants all over the area will serve this exotic dish, and there are even New Zealand cruises devoted to showing tourists how the mussels are extracted and prepared. A fine Marlborough wine will also give travelers an authentic taste of New Zealand. The area produces the Sauvignon Blanc wine, which serves as an excellent accompaniment to a dish of Greenshell Mussels.

Sail, hike, eat, drink, and explore; do all this and more during your New Zealand vacation at the Marlborough Sounds. Enjoy vibrant, colorful skies, massive rock formations, lush vegetation, and peaceful waters that will take you to the Sound’s most remarkable places.