Travel Style
Boaties
The world is your oyster in the stunning Marlborough Sounds.
The Marlborough Sounds is New Zealand's marine playground, with one-fifth of New Zealand's coastline on offer right here, giving you some of the country's best boating and water experiences.
Go fishing for the big one or sit back and watch the dolphins and orca do it instead; dive for your night's dinner or a sunken shipwreck; catch a scenic cruise or charter a boat; lie back in a hammock or on the beach at a resort or holiday home; quietly explore the many coves and bays in a kayak or whip up some waterskiing action... fun in the Marlborough Sounds is whatever you make it.
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On the Water
Explore 1500km of winding coastline, secluded bays, historic sites, marine reserves and island sanctuaries, fostering kiwi and other native species.
Beautiful beaches and native bush surround the sunken valleys of water, and every bay beckons. Some can be reached by road, but the only way to really discover the sounds is by water. Kayak, sail or motor your way through the Marlborough Sounds and share in our beautiful treasure.
Cast for kawahai and salmon at the mouth of the Wairau River, or find trout in the tributaries of this beautiful braided river. Pull on your wetsuit to dive for crayfish and paua on Marlboroughs East Coast, in the currents of the Tory Channel and Port Underwood, or out of Okiwi and Elaine Bays to the west.
Go diving in secluded corners of the Queen Charlotte Sound or cast a line for blue cod and snapper in the Kenepuru and Pelorus. Some of Marlborough’s best sea fishing and diving is off d’Urville Island and French Pass, where fishing charters will ensure you find the right spots.
Read our guide