The Marlborough Sounds, home to 3 main bodies of water; Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds, is a collection of sunken river valleys filled with water and marine life from the Pacific Ocean. They stretch 1500km along New Zealand's coastline at the top of the South Island. A real magical place with hidden inlets, sandy bays and forested hills rising from the sea. A lot of the Marlborough Sounds is only accessible by water making the region one of the lesser explored areas of NZ.
We investigated many ways to see different parts of the Sounds and we’ll be incorporating some of them into our final ZigZag itinerary. Our highlights were seeing French Pass, where the Tasman Sea and Cook Strait meet and create the fastest tidal flows in New Zealand, trundling along the Queen Charlotte Drive with it’s breathtaking views over the Sounds, and taking a scenic ride on the famous mail boat which has delivered letters and parcels to residents throughout the Sounds for the last 150 years. An essential service to many who rely on their groceries and supplies being delivered to their individual wharves and which has now been opened up to the public to experience, whilst enjoying the picturesque scenery along the way. The best bit for us was seeing the many dogs that come down with their owners, some with the precious mailbag in their mouth, waiting eagerly to collect the new mail and get their doggie treat!
CHECK OUT OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ROAD TO THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS IN THE VIDEO BELOW!
