Walking the Queen Charlotte Track in Marlborough. Copyright Destination Marlborough
  • Te Araroa Trail

    Welcome to the South Island

  • Queen Charlotte Track

    1 of NZ's iconic walks

  • Short walks

    Plenty to choose from

  • Heritage walks

    Walk through historic sites

Guide

Walks

Get to know Marlborough step by step, via walking tracks to alpine peaks, golden trails on working farms and native bush walks in the Marlborough Sounds.

Marlborough walks can be as challenging as Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku, as beautiful as the Queen Charlotte Track and as relaxing as the Taylor River reserve.

Whether you’re hiking for a day or a week, staying in a tent, hut or lodge, you’ll love the pace of Marlborough.

Start planning your walk with New Zealand Mountain Safety Councils Plan my Walk app. An awesome app that provides you with useful information of particular tracks, alerts, weather and what gear you will need. Click here to check it out

French Pass Lookout Track

It doesn’t get more “off the beaten path” than the French Pass. Sweeping views of the Sounds, D’Urville island and coastal scenery as the highlights so don’t forget to take your camera full of battery and memory. Along the way there are viewpoints and also amazing little coves and beaches to stop off and soak it all in.

This track takes you to a viewpoint over historic French Pass, where the tidal surges are an incredible sight.

You can get to the track from the French Pass Road off State Highway 6 just past Rai Valley.

Local stories from earliy settlers describe polynesion explorere Kupe, who sent two pet birds out to explore Te Waipounamu (the South Island).

A kawau (cormorant) belonging to Kupe's companion Toru flew to the west. When it dipped a wing in the water at Te Aumiti/French Pass, the wing broke and the cormorant died. The reef is now known as Te Kawau-a-Toru.

Length

10 minutes each way

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