Blenheim, the region’s main city, has its own domestic airport receiving flights from major cities such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The majority of international visitors fly into one of the aforementioned major airports then take a transferring flight to Blenheim. The journey time from Auckland to Blenheim is 1 hour, 15 minutes and from Wellington to Blenheim the flight is just 25 minutes.

Blenheim-Woodbourne Airport is a very small facility located just over four miles (seven kilometres) west of Blenheim city centre. Services and amenities for passengers are basic, but include most essentials. For ground transfers to the centre of Blenheim and destinations beyond, passengers can make use of a commercial shuttle service provided by SuperShuttle. This is a shared ride service which operates door-to-door service to the majority of popular destinations in Blenheim.

Shuttles can be also be chartered exclusively for a reasonable price. Vehicles leave from the shuttle rank located immediately outside the terminal exit. Alternatively, there are similar services provided by Marlborough Sounds Shuttles (phone: +64 3 133 5946).

Taxis can also be hired from outside the terminal building or prebooked (phone: +64 3 577 2072). Passengers preferring to make their own way to their onward destination will find car hire facilities at a desk operated by AVIS in the Arrivals area.

Buses operated by InterCity Coaches (website: www.intercity.co.nz/) run from major New Zealand cities to Blenheim, Kaikoura and Picton. Atomic Shuttles (website: www.atomictravel.co.nz/index.aspx) operates a twice-daily service from Christchurch to Picton via Blenheim and Kaikoura, while Southern Link Kbus (website: http://southernlinkkbus.co.nz/home.aspx) operates a route between Christchurch and Kaikoura.

Tranz Scenic provides rail services between Christchurch and Picton via Blenheim and Kaikoura and from Wellington to Kaikoura. Routes are extremely scenic and trains are modern and comfortable and include a buffet service.

For drivers, state highway 1 provides the principle access to the city of Blenheim, Marlborough’s main centre, linking also with Picton where the ferry port is located. Alternatively, if you are travelling from the west you can take state highway 6. Between Blenheim and Nelson, drivers should follow state highway 63.

Ferry services provided by Bluebridge and Interislander operate between Wellington and Picton via the Cook Strait, with the former running four crossings per day and the latter running five. For more information, contact Bluebridge (website: www.bluebridge.co.nz) or Interislander (website: www.interislander.co.nz).

Once you’ve arrived in Marlborough, there are a number of options for getting around. Water taxis provide easy passage between major destinations in the Marlborough sounds, while ground transportation options include taxis, hire cars and shuttles. Bicycles can also be rented easily and offer a pleasant means of covering short distances.