Blenheim, Marlborough

Marlborough has huge sunshine hours and low rainfall, making it a perfect choice for an outdoorsy, wine-flavoured, food-focused holiday. And if you're interested in aviation and the special effects created by Weta Workshop, call into the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre to see Peter Jackson's WW1 aircraft collection and 'Dangerous Skies', a compelling exhibition of WW2 aircraft and stories. Marlborough is also home to Outward Bound, a legendary Kiwi enterprise dedicated to helping people build fitness and resilience. Maybe it's time to test your physical and mental strength with a multi-day outdoor pursuits course!

Measuring 72 kilometres from end to end, Queen Charlotte Track passes through lush coastal forest and along ridges that deliver breath-taking views of sky, ocean, beaches and bays.

Things to see and do when you visit Marlborough

To enjoy the best of Marlborough, we recommend you pick up a rental car at the airport. Alternatively, you could use local operators to shuttle you around the region. Bikes are also a great form of transport in Marlborough, if your aim is mainly to explore wine and food across the Marlborough plains.

Queen Charlotte Track

Before the days of wine and cellar doors, the Marlborough region's chief claim to fame was its sounds - extraordinary sea-drowned valleys created when ocean levels rose many millions of years ago. This marine wonderland can be explored by mountain bike, on foot, by kayak or on a cruise.

Queen Charlotte Track is one of the most popular adventures in the area. You can hike it, bike it or paddle around in a kayak. Measuring 72 kilometres from end to end, it passes through lush coastal forest, around coves and inlets, and along skyline ridges that deliver breath-taking views of sky, ocean, beaches and bays. You can get out there for one day or several, with or without a guide. Accommodation options include camping under the stars or bedding down in a comfortable lodge. The track is open all year round. In summer, one section (Ship Cove to Punga) is closed to bikers.

Outward Bound, Anakiwa

Are you looking for a corporate team-building event with a difference or do you want to give your life a serious rev up? At Outward Bound in Anakiwa you can push your limits while you explore the amazing Marlborough Sounds landscapes, all in the name of building self-worth and fitness. Outward Bound offers a broad range of courses for all ages and needs; landlubbing city escapees are especially welcome. More about outdoor adventures in Marlborough.

Lochmara Lodge

Lochmara Lodge is both a centre for wildlife recovery and a wonderful place for a holiday. Accessible only by water, the lodge has an underwater observatory, sculpture trail, nature walk network and a spa. There's also a comprehensive programme of nature-based excursions and activities. You can visit Lochmara Lodge for a day trip or stay a few nights in the comfy chalet accommodation. Water taxis leave from Picton.

Wineries in Marlborough

If riding a bike sedately from cellar door to cellar door sounds like your idea of heaven, Marlborough is your sort of place. It has more sauvignon blanc plantings than anywhere else in New Zealand, as well as plenty of pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris and riesling vines, to bring variety to your tasting tour. From the small township of Renwick, there are more than 30 welcoming wineries within a 24-kilometre circuit.

You won't have to pack a picnic, because there are vineyard cafés and restaurants in every direction. Local delicacies include green-lipped mussels from Havelock, Marlborough salmon and blue cod. Serendipitously, they all pair perfectly with the local sauvignon blanc. Bike hire is easy to arrange - it might even be provided by your accommodation.

Cloudy Bay Winery

Visiting Cloudy Bay Winery is a highlight of any Marlborough cellar door adventure and the environment is almost as enticing as the wine. The vast courtyard extends out to a glorious landscape that invites you to commune with nature while you sip your way through a tasting. During summer, Jack's Raw Bar is open at Cloudy Bay. The meals are informally fabulous with an emphasis on local seafood.

Restaurants in Blenheim

As well as winery cafés and restaurants, the Marlborough region has some exceptional establishments for fine dining. A great example is beautiful Arbour restaurant, which has two hats from Cuisine and multiple awards from other reputable sources. It's all about degustation here - six or nine courses of divinely constructed edible artworks. Every dish represents Marlborough on a plate.

Marlborough Wine and Food Festival

At Marlborough's annual wine and food festival, you can discover the maximum number of wine producers in the shortest possible time. Best of all, you'll enjoy the region's best wine in the company of great food - brilliant wine and food pairings are a focus for this festival. Held in a vineyard, this one-day event happens in early February. The festival includes more than 50 wine producers, 25+ food businesses and a stage full of live entertainment.

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre

Plane-spotters will have the best of times the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, but this museum isn't only for aviation enthusiasts. It's for anyone who appreciates the amazing evolution of flying machines. You'll see Sir Peter Jackson's impressive collection of WW1 aircraft and artefacts, and a superb collection of WW2 fighters in the Dangerous Skies exhibition. Incredibly realistic and engaging, the displays are bought to life with dioramas by Wingnut Films, life-like mannequins created by Weta Workshop and immersive multi-media experiences. Top your visit off with a ride in a Stearman biplane or Yak-3. See our Top 10 things to do in Marlborough.

Accommodation in Blenheim

You can expect a room with a view wherever you stay in the Marlborough region. For those on a tight budget, there's a choice of economical backpacker lodges or you can make yourself at home in a tent, cabin or campervan at a picturesque holiday park. If you're a mid-range traveller, look for a cosy Airbnb cottage, tourist hotel or B&B. And if you're splashing the cash, there are winery lodges and luxury boutique hotels that understand the art of upmarket hospitality.

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