Picton travel guide

Once you cross the Cook Strait and enter the ‘The Sounds’, you arrive in the pretty township of Picton, gateway to the Marlborough Sounds and the South Island. In summer Picton is a buzz of activity with visitors coming and going by ferry, car or train, but in winter it reverts to its more familiar role as a sleepy port.

Despite its size, Picton has an interesting history. It was once the site of an important Maori pa called Waitohi before the first Europeans settled and renamed it Newton. For a while Newton was the proud capital of Marlborough (before Blenheim stole the honours) and later, after being renamed Picton, became a candidate for the country’s capital. In more recent times controversy has affected the town. For almost a decade the issue of relocating the ferry port south closer to Blenheim has been hotly debated. Thankfully for ‘the Picts’ that option was dismissed by the government, who claim it is not financially viable. So, thankfully, as the gateway to both the South Island and the sounds, pretty Picton looks set to remain.