Cruise ships dock at Waitohi Wharf. It is about a 1/2 mile to Picton town center. A kiosk of the…read morePicton Information Office is on the wharf. Taxis & a complimentary shuttle bus from the wharf to the center of Picton is provided since we can't walk on the pier. Shakespeare Bay is available for ships longer than 245m, which is slightly further away from the center of Picton and is a short 3 minute drive away. The main reason ships visit Picton is for the sail in/out of the Marlborough Sounds. Very picturesque , so we got a good viewing position. We were warmly greeted with beautiful corsages. Shuttles took us out of the commercial port and into Picton.

Beautiful sound & views of the cloud covered mountains. This is a small working port shuttle buses…read moreleft us here and we followed a blue path for only a few feet along the sound. The birds were chirping and the flowers were in bloom.. There's a water fountain, bathrooms, playground , beach & marina

I stayed here for 1 night after driving 4 hours on the North Island, and taking the Bluebridge…read moreFerry - I figured I'd want a hotel RIGHT near the ferry so that I could rest / relax ASAP. It was "fine". Opting for a rest was probably smart vs. driving maybe to Blenheim to stay somewhere else but there is not much in Picton to see / eat even if for just 1 night. The view near the dock is nice during sunset though. The hotel itself really felt like it was there for the tired people like me :P The parking lot is small - I had to reverse all the way out of the lot because there was nowhere for me to turn around (and I had a small car). The WiFi SAYS free, but it is SUPER limited. We were both disappointed to read that in the notes as it advertises as FREE WIFI in all the hotel searches online. We limited our activity purposely, so we would not get charged and that was annoying. That being said, the room was fine... 2 twin beds, enough room to walk around a bit, a small couch and table and kitchenette area fit our needs. Bathroom was good - spacious albeit felt a bit revealing with the window and thin walls. A few restaurants / bakeries are within walking distance which is helpful. Overall, if I had to return to Picton again I would stay somewhere else even though nothing bad happened to me here... if that makes sense / is helpful.

"Explore Marlborough Wineries By Bike" was a ship tour offered to us while in the Port of Picton…read more We tend to opt for a small group tour while in port, but this caught our eye. It would be a bit physical, scenic and at the same time some fun comparing New Zealand's wine country to our own here in California. This tour had to be one of the best wine tours we've been on. Our guide, Andy picked us up at the ship in a comfortable small van, and narrated along the way as we drove inland to where "Explore Marlborough Wine Tours" has their gear and office. When we arrived we were all able to outfit ourselves with the correct height bicycle, set the correct seat height, get situated with correct helmets, learn the gears, and given safety vests. The bicycles were like new and top notch with a basket for your belongings and a bottle of water & a treat. We went over all safety instructions, and tested our bicycles prior to commencing our ride. We had three really nice winery stops and really enjoyed the ride. The narrative by Andrew when we stopped in the vineyards was so great and super informative with the field harvesting process. Our last stop on the bike ride was at Mahi Winery, which was our favorite. Beautiful grounds, beautiful architecture, beautiful wines! Unbelievably hospitable and generous with their wine, and the fantastic lunch that was prepared by their fabulous chef "Marcia". I'm still trying to replicate the potato green bean dish, the corn with cucumber salad, and the recipe used for the salmon. Oh my gosh it was incredible! After the fantastic lunch, we all jumped in the van and drove back to our starting point for anyone that wanted to purchase wine before driving back to the ship. Sometimes you wonder about your choices of excursions, but at the end this was a no brainer and one of our favorite excursions. We highly recommend this tour, and would probably do it again if it was in our backyard.

Lodgings can be hit-or-miss (and I've already had two misses during this trip), but this was a hit…read more It's an older place, a little motel laid out in a U-shape about as centrally located in the main part of picturesque Picton as you can get. I easily walked from the ferry, to / from the marina, and to the train station. A small grocery store is next door (okay, technically there's a small real estate office in between), but it's as good as next door. A larger grocery store is a little farther out. Multiple restaurants and stores (including a small pharmacy) can all be found within a minute or two walk. It's a motel, so one parking space is available in front of each unit. If you're looking for new and shiny, go elsewhere. This place has been well-loved. It's clean and comfortable with a living space with TV, kitchen with a two-burner stove, toaster oven, and microwave. All the plates, cutlery, pots and pans and everything you need to cook. No central air - only a fan - but when the temperature cools down, there's a space heater and electric blanket. The beds are not ridiculously high and are comfortable. In terms of charging my phone, the best place to do so was on the nightstand by the bed. It's a small family business. The owners are very nice and are hard-working. I'm glad I found the High Street Living Motel.

Shangri-la has been found....pssss.....don't tell anyone…read more It isn't easy to get too..unless you boat in but... You can do an amazing hike in Nydia bay: Pickup some great snacks in Havelock btw. So we did it by doing a Car Key exchange as it is a one way trek. Start at Kaiuma Bay hike into the lodge and stay a few days. You will be treated by the Hosts Warren and Colleen to at true treat. They have a fridge stocked with beer and wine ( at a charge). Great cooked meals. Explore the gorgeous area or just strum on a guitar. Plenty of cool sleeping options. Hike out the either side to Duncan Bay / Tennyson Inlet to pickup your car Amazing serene place

My experience at the Blenheim Palms was fantastic. I almost stayed somewhere else and am very…read morethankful I did not. Check in was so fast and so friendly, and the friendliness remained throughout. I had a one bedroom (not studio) which is a slight up charge but highly recommended. Having seen smaller rooms, the upgrade is worth it. I had a living room with recline sofa, kitchen with everything but an oven (including fridge and microwave), very nice restroom, and a roomy bedroom. Everything was truly spotless. The location is ideal - 10 minutes drive, at most, from the airport. A very short walk to both downtown (restaurants, bars) and a nice supermarket (with a decent wine selection). Also near parks and the path along the river, which is good for running or walking. Wifi is free, which is rare in this area. That's honestly why I chose this hotel. It isn't the fastest, but for $0...it's pretty good. All future stays in Blenheim will be here!

My husband and I had a 2 night stay booked at the Marlborough during our 2 week trip to NZ from the…read moreUS. We were just shy of a month (3 days) before we were to go and my husband came down with pneumonia. We had to cancel the entire trip, as he ended up being hospitalized. BEWARE of the 30 day cancellation policy the hotel has. Even given our circumstances they wouldn't even budge on this policy. Not even 50%. They said we could use the credit for another stay, but don't know when we will attempt to return and now I have a bad taste in my mouth and wouldn't stay there if they paid me. All our other bookings were fully refunded as there was plenty of time for them to rebook our room. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL. They were totally unfriendly and had no regard for our situation. This is an expensive hotel and now I'm out $2,500! I booked thru Amex travel and they got the same response when they did the inquiry on the charge. HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!!!

A highlight of our NZ trip. Beautiful grounds and buildings. This was apparently an historic…read moreconvent building, moved here and beautifully restored. There are such nice touches as stained-glass windows. A separate chapel building is the wine lounge. We sat by a roaring outdoor fireplace, and were served pre-dinner wine and canapés. Beautiful, large room. Restful public rooms. I think about 16 acres of gardens, with a pond and plantings. Very restful and elegant place to stay. And dinner was superb. Stay here if you're visiting the Marlborough wine region.