Land Transport

Getting Around Marlborough

Marlborough is really a region you experience from behind the wheel. The main flows are pretty clear: arrive or depart via ferry at Picton, base yourself near Blenheim for wine country, and work your way through to Nelson via the Pelorus Bridge stop. If you're picking up a campervan here at the start of your South Island trip, that's a solid move - you're right at the ferry terminal and the roads from Picton are genuinely good.

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Hop ‘n Grape Tours

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The Wine Country Logistics

The one transport thing worth thinking hard about in Marlborough is how you get around the wineries. Self-driving means a sober driver, which is a bit of a waste. Biking is fun but tiring and limits where you can get to. The guided wine tour option wins on logistics alone - they pick you up from your campervan, including from the better freedom camping spots out at the Diversion or Rarangi, and drop you back at the end. Promo code RANKERS gets you 10% off the wine tour, which takes the sting out of not driving yourself.

A Heritage Train and a Good Road Stop

There's also the Marlborough Flyer heritage steam train running between Picton and Blenheim, if that's your kind of thing. It's not a practical way to get anywhere, more of an experience in itself. For most people though, the real land transport highlight is just the drive between Marlborough and Nelson - stop at Pelorus Bridge, take a swim in that ridiculous aqua-coloured river, and carry on. Easy.