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.

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
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
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

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 Marlborough

The Link Pathway

The Link Pathway is a 42-kilometre walking and mountain bike track that connects Havelock, Picton, Anakiwa and the Queen Charlotte Track in Marlborough.

Construction of the trail began in 2005, after local residents wanted to see paths link local communities, and the rediscovery of four sections of historic bridle path between Picton and Havelock.

European settlers and miners created the bridle path in the 1860s to take their horses between the two townships, including during the short-lived gold rush in Wakamarina. Much of the path was destroyed when Queen Charlotte Drive was built around 1920.
The first section of the Link Pathway, in the Mahakipawa Arm near Havelock, was finished in 2006. At just under 1km long, it was built entirely by hand and inspired the idea of eventually linking Havelock and Picton.

With construction driven by local community members, and thousands of volunteer hours overseen by the charitable Link Pathway Trust, the trail progressed in stages over 15 years.

The old bridle trail sections now form around 20% of the Link Pathway, which also incorporates an old stock route near Picton that once led to the town’s former freezing works. Travelling through lush native bush interspersed with beautiful sea views, the pathway takes in a remnant podocarp forest, a unique salt marsh, mature beech forest, and an historic WWII lookout and signal station site.

In 2021, the final link to Havelock, the Motuweka Havelock Boardwalk, was completed with arched bridges and views across the scenic Kaituna Estuary.

The Link Pathway is a wide, well-graded track that can be completed in one day, or in sections – see the map for details.You can view the latest map here.