Guide
Heritage, Culture & Arts
Marlborough’s rich history runs wide and deep, from the earliest Polynesian settlers of the Wairau Bar to the first European pioneers who built our towns and planted our first grapevines.
These people, the way they lived their lives and how they dealt with history’s major events has shaped Marlborough into what it is today. Those stories are all here, waiting to be discovered all over again.
Marlborough has a wealth of arts and culture, from art galleries to museums through to concerts and theatre productions.
Follow the Marlborough Arts and Crafts Trail, enjoy a glass of wine while listening to live music at a vineyard or on stage at Marlborough's new ASB Theatre.
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Aviation
Marlborough has been at the centre of important historical aviation events on many occasions, on both a national and international scale. That legacy continues strongly today, with the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre at its heart.
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Historic Sites
Much of Marlborough’s history has been preserved, or restored, exactly where it happened. Think Ship Cove, the site of Captain James Cook’s frequent Marlborough visits; the remains of the Perano Whaling Station; the ancient fortified pa of Karaka Point; the wooden immigrant ship Edwin Fox. Learn more about these historic sites.
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Maritime
With almost 4,000km² of coastline in the Marlborough Sounds alone, our region has played an integral role in New Zealand’s maritime history. From a thriving whaling industry to the many ships that wrecked along our rugged shores, there are countless tales from the sea.
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Our Land
Long before Marlborough’s world famous wine industry took hold, the land provided for its people in many ways. Read how early Māori thrived around the plentiful riches of the Wairau Lagoons, how flax was turned into money and how Blenheim/Te Waiharakeke received its first nickname, Beavertown.
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Our People
Did you know the man who split the nuclear atom was schooled in Havelock? Woven throughout our history are many intriguing stories of those who lived in times gone by and created Marlborough as we know it today.
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Our Stories
Underpinning our nation’s early beginnings are the ancient stories, legends and myths passed down through generations of Māori. Here is a selection of the legends that describe how Marlborough came to be.
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Our Towns
From Rai Valley to Ward, each Marlborough settlement had its own fascinating and unique beginnings. Learn about the heritage of our villages and towns.
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Culture
Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku, New Zealand's largest peak outside the Southern Alps, is the sacred mountain of local Marlborough Maori iwi and a visible symbol of the rich tapestry of Marlborough's culture. The annual Marlborough Book Festival forms one of these vibrant threads.
Discover Marlborough's culture
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Arts
Marlborough is home to a host of artisans, public art, galleries, musicians and theatre performances. Join the Marlborough Arts and Crafts Trail, check out the Artisan Market on Saturdays, and watch local performances.
Marlborough's Arts guide
- Classic Fighters
- Marlborough Airport Heritage
- Omaka Aerodrome Heritage
- Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre
- Picton Airport Heritage
- Maud Island Heritage
- Wairau Bar Heritage
- Pelorus Heritage
- Karaka Point Heritage
- Kakapo Bay Cemetary Heritage
- Horahora Kakahu Island Heritage
- Molesworth Station Heritage
- Arapaoa Island
- Te Aumiti/French Pass Heritage
- Mt Taupae-o-Uenuku
- Perano Whaling Station
- Ship Cove/Meretoto Heritage
- Wairau Affray Heritage
- Wairau Lagoons Heritage
- Cape Campbell Heritage
- The Edwin Fox
- Cape Jackson Heritage
- Cook Strait Ferries Heritage
- Mikhail Lermentov Heritage
- Opaoa River Heritage
- Pelorus Jack Heritage
- Wine Heritage
- Antimony Mining Heritage
- Farming Heritage
- Gold Mining Heritage
- Arthur Clouston
- Sir Edward Chaytor
- Captain Cook
- Sir Edmund Hillary
- Elizabeth Lissaman
- Lord Ernest Rutherford
- James Sinclair
- Blenheim Heritage
- Awarua/Spring Creek Heritage
- Havelock Heritage
- Picton Heritage
- Rai Valley Heritage
- Renwick Heritage
- Seddon Heritage
- Ward Heritage

Beryl Bowers Events Coordinator
"I am so lucky to live here with the mountains and the bush clad hills reaching the sea. The beauty of this region is amazing and nowhere else in the world have I seen such stunning scenery."
My insider guide to MarlboroughWine Heritage
Marlborough’s journey to become one of the world’s major wine destinations began with a farmer with vision.
In 1873 David Herd considered the sheep, lucerne and barley that formed Marlborough’s agricultural mainstay and wondered if there was an alternative crop that would suit the region’s soil and climate. Herd planted a small experimental block of Brown Muscat grapes on his Fairhall land, Auntsfield. The result was good wine; a rammed-earth wine cellar was built and the beginnings of Marlbor-ough’s wine industry was born. Herd’s family continued to produce wine until 1931.
Modern wine
None of Herd’s grapevines remained in 1973 when New Zealand’s largest wine producer, Montana, ventured south from Auckland seeking land on which to expand into export wines. Montana founder Frank Yukich sent his viticulturist, Wayne Thomas, to meet land agent John Marris, who was instructed to find 2,900 hectares of potential wine-growing land in just 24 hours. Marris succeeded but the Montana board was unconvinced and turned down a proposal to develop a vineyard. But it was too late: Yukich had already made a 10 percent non-refundable deposit. Montana eventually bought land for $1146 a hectare and the first vines were planted, shrouded in secrecy, on August 11, 1973, on the vineyard now known as Brancott Estate. At the time, Yukich proclaimed “wines from here will become world famous”. His words proved trued: large-scale commercial vineyards began to spread across the Wairau Plains; the exception was Vavasour Wines which pioneered wine in the Awatere in 1986.
Most vineyards produced bulk varieties like Muller Thurgau, but in 1985 vintages from Montana, Hunter’s and Cloudy Bay caught the attention of the British market. Three years earlier, Hunter’s first vintage had sparked international attention by winning six medals at the National Wine Show, and in 1986 winning the UK's Sunday Times Vintage Festival with an oak-aged sauvignon blanc. That same year, sauvignon blanc was the star of the first annual Marlborough Wine and Food Festival and the rest, as they say, is history.
Today Marlborough’s wine industry, and in particular its sauvignon blanc, is savoured around the world and forms the backbone of the region’s economy. There are many opportunities to experience Marlborough’s early wine industry first-hand.
The cool rammed-earth wine cellar deep in Auntsfield Vineyard where David Herd stored Marl-borough’s first wines, has been lovingly restored and grapes that share ancestry with Herd’s once again grow on the land above. Marlborough Museum's permanent wine exhibition tell the story of Marlborough's wine history through its displays of old equipment mixed with new inventions – a brilliant introduction to the region's wine industry before exploring the wine trail.
Search & book
Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
No.1 Family Estate

Hotel
The Marlborough

Blenheim
Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Allan Scott Family Winemakers

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Auntsfield Estate

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Brancott Estate Cellar Door and Restaurant

Blenheim
Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Clos Henri Vineyard

Wine & Food
Cloudy Bay Cellar Door Marlborough

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Forrest Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Gibson Bridge Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Hans Herzog Estate - Cellar Door

81 Jeffries Road Blenheim Marlborough
Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Hunter's Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Johanneshof Cellars

Wine & Food
Marlborough Icons Tour

Blenheim
From $220.00
Heritage Attractions
Marlborough Museum

Tours
Marlborough Tour Company

From $50.00
Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Mount Riley Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Nautilus Estate

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Rock Ferry Cellar Door

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Spy Valley Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Te Whare Ra Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Wairau River Wines

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Whitehaven Wines Cellar Door

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant

Winery Cellar Doors & Wine Tastings
Yealands Estate
