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Te Araroa Trail
Welcome to the South Island
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Queen Charlotte Track
1 of NZ's iconic walks
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Short walks
Plenty to choose from
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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.
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Short walks
Save your breath for the breathtaking views and stroll some of Marlborough’s short tracks. A few minutes or hours on your feet can yield big rewards, with easy walks to everything from a seal pup nursery to a golden beach in the Marlborough Sounds.
Short walks in Marlborough
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Day walks
From beach trails at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, to sub alpine climbs in the Richmond Range, Marlborough has a range of day walks, whatever your level or choice of scenery. Pack your coat, your lunch and your walking boots, and set out to explore.
Marlborough day walks
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Multi-day walks
Trek to a lighthouse at the edge of a reef or a resort at the edge of the Marlborough Sounds. Walk through native bush to a secluded beach, or climb a mountain range to a panoramic view. Stay in a tent, hut or luxury lodge, and choose to carry your luggage or have it taken ahead. The only challenge with hiking in Marlborough is choosing where to go.
Multi-day walks in Marlborough
- Grovetown Lagoon - Te Whanau Hou
- Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve Walks
- Snout Track
- The Link Pathway
- Black Jack Track
- Cullen Point Lookout Track
- French Pass Lookout Track
- Governors Bay Track
- Kaipupu Sanctuary walk
- Karaka Point Walk
- Mistletoe Bay tracks
- Motuara Island Track
- Oruawairua Walk, Blumine Island
- Picton walks
- Antimony Mines Track
- Wairau Lagoons Walkway
- Wither Hills Farm Park
- Mt Fishtail
- The Link Pathway
- Archer Track Walk
- Cape Campbell
- Mt Stokes Track
- Richmond Range day walks
- Queen Charlotte Track day walks
- Nydia Track
- Mt Fishtail
- Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku
- Richmond Range walks
- Queen Charlotte Track walk
- Molesworth East West Route walk
- Leatham Molesworth Route
- Nydia Track
- Devils Creek walk
Roy Grose Director Operations, Northern South Island | Te Tau Ihu
“Marlborough is the mountains to the sea. One day you can be out in the Marlborough Sounds, and the next day be up at Lake Rotoiti. On the way you can stop and pick cherries or have a glass of wine at a cellar door. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
My insider guide to MarlboroughMt Tapuae-o-Uenuku
At 2885m (9,645 feet), Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku is the highest New Zealand peak outside the Southern Alps and is a popular three-day hike for experienced groups with good navigational skills.
Tappy, as the locals call it, was the springboard for legendary mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary's climbing career that took him to be the first person to reach the summit of Mt Everest.
"I'd climbed a decent mountain at last," Sir Ed said of his weekend solo climb in 1944, while training with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in Marlborough during WW2.
His three-day weekend on Mt Tappy was no mean feat - walking 32km (20 miles) up the Awatere Valley, followed by a long tramp up the Hodder River and a 14-hour climb to the top, before doing it all in reverse on the way home.
The views can be stunning on a good day, but the mountain shouldn't be attempted in bad weather. Access is through Gladstone Downs, high up the Awatere Valley, and hikers must head to the Marlborough Tramping Club's website in order to obtain an access number before your tramp. For any questions contact Allan and Bev Pitts (ph 03 575-7471) for advise on local weather conditions and river levels, as well as demand for hut space (please obtain your access number before you ring).
The Marlborough Tramping Club's website provides information to climbers and trampers planning to visit the Inland Kaikoura Mountains.
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