Picton

Picton Travel Wiki

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Travel to Picton

Read about and get inspiration for a trip to the city, check for the cheapest flights and hotels in Picton

Travel and vacation in Picton, New Zealand

Here you can find information about travel and holiday trips to New Zealand. You will find travel deals as well as general travel information, guides, “good to know” and facts about New Zealand. We try to find the best travel video about the city and its surroundings and we write about the best sights, shopping and things to do. You will also find updated current weather and forecasts. The current exchange rates are also updated many times a day.

Best of Picton

What to see and do in Picton ?

If it’s sunshine you’re looking for in New Zealand, Picton is the place to be. It’s at the north end of South Island and is the entry point to the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, known for kayaking and fishing as well as its secluded bays. The year-round pleasant weather means anytime is great to get outdoors and explore this unspoiled part of New Zealand. The nearest airport to this pretty port town is just outside the nearby town of Blenheim, making it easy to get to. The area is also known for its excellent wines, produced at some of the country’s leading wineries.

There are lots of places to stay in Picton that are fronting the sea and offering expansive vistas out across the waters. They include Picton Harbour, Waikawa Bay and Whatamango Bay, where there’s a large camping ground. In the town centre itself, there’s a whole array of accommodation on offer, at levels and budget to suit all tastes. Nestled along the picturesque Queen Charlotte Sound are a number of luxury resorts where visitors can relax in total seclusion. For the more budget-conscious, various types of mid-range accommodation can also be found there, including motels and bed and breakfasts that are well run.

Picton is an exquisite place of astonishing natural beauty where visitors can really feel the forceful energy of vibrant nature right up close, from the majesty of the sounds to the extraordinary creatures of the seas. It offers visitors a truly memorable holiday while staying in some of the best accommodation in the country.

The best weather in Picton is in January and February, when temperatures can rise above 20C, but it’s fairly warm to mild throughout the year. The wettest time is from June to September.

Among Picton’s claims to fame is the Edwin Fox, the world’s oldest merchant ship, which was built in Calcutta in 1853 and later used as a convict ship to exile criminals in Australia. Later still, the vessel was used in the sheep industry in New Zealand, arriving in 1897 in Picton, where it remains and can be viewed by visitors at the Edwin Fox Ship and Museum.

Take a cruise along the Cook Strait or Queen Charlotte Sound and enjoy the beauty of these spectacular natural areas. There are many operators, and trips can be booked in Picton.

A good way to learn about the history and culture of the area is to visit the Picton Heritage and Whaling Museum. Discover the rich heritage of the native Maori people and view exhibits of local whaling activities.

See the wonders of the deep at EcoWorld Picton Aquarium, where creatures from the surrounding waters are on show, including little blue penguins, the smallest of the species and found only in New Zealand and Australia; turtles; and seahorses, as well as many more.

The Wairau Bar is an important archaeological site; it’s a gravel bar at Cloudy Bay and is where the first settlers arrived in New Zealand, from Polynesia, in the late 1200s. The Marlborough Museum in the town of Blenheim, near to Picton, has a good exhibit about these people of Aotearoa.

Picton has a range of good restaurants, bars and clubs where visitors can relax as well as party the night away. Try the local Mao beer as well as some of the many fine wines from the region.