Picton, New Zealand is a cute little town. That’s really the best way to describe it. Of course, Picton is also a very important port town that connects the South Island to Wellington and the North island of New Zealand. Picton itself is also the gateway to both the Marlborough wine region and the beautiful Queen Charlotte Sound. I’ve been through Picton a few times over the years but this was the first time I’ve ever really spent time in Picton, New Zealand.
The Azamara Quest docked right in Picton after earlier stops in Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula and Cape Kidnappers, just steps from the center of town so I was able to walk around the little town center set on a bustling harbor. I even got a haircut in town from a lovely woman who was convinced the pizza in New Zealand is better than the pizza in New York…let’s just say we agreed to disagree! Picton, New Zealand itself is only home to about 4000 people but it is an important gateway to both islands of New Zealand.
I took a small cruise boat around the Queen Charlotte Sound. I love taking small boats and cruising around little islands and islets because you usually see some cool wildlife, neat houses and lends some great views.
We did see two of three but unfortunately the weather did not really cooperate so the views weren’t that great so we focused on the environmentally friendly houses and jetty’s. The skipper was also the tour guide and he was OK. The microphone didn’t carry up top of the boat where I was sitting most of the time so I couldn’t really hear what he was saying most of the time-so I just enjoyed the view and tried to stay warm from the high winds!
After the cruise, the tour hopped on a bus and we got to go see some of the beautiful wineries in Marlborough. The Marlborough region of New Zealand and its 150 wineries produce over 43 billion liters of wine each year and is particularly known for its chardonnay.
Picton, New Zealand is a very small place but is a very important place in the great country of New Zealand. So if you’re transiting between the islands, take half a day and check out Picton and the surrounding area. You won’t be disappointed.
Picton, New Zealand and the Surrounding Area is Worth a Look
January 29, 2016 by 4 Comments
Looks like a nice place, I just passed thru to and from Welly
A likely story! That’s all I had done until this trip as well but check it out next time.
Hi Lee,
Marlborough is one of the top wine regions in the world! I would love to visit sometime! Glad you got to pop in at least. How were the tastings? How did it compare to other wine regions you’ve been to? Sorry for all the questions but I love wine.
My excursion only briefly put me at one winery and I actually didn’t do a full tasting although I did taste several back on the ship. The area was gorgeous as you can see.