Car hire Picton

Introduction

Picton is a town on New Zealand's South Island. It's a nice operating base for bike and hiking trips through the Marlborough wine region or for sailing trips over the Marlborough Sounds. Divers will also enjoy it here: near Picton lies the wreck of a Russian cruise ship.

Population

The town has almost 3000 inhabitants.

Location

Picton is located in the north of New Zealand's South Island. There's a marina, one of the largest in the country, in Waikawa, which has almost grown together with Picton. West of Picton lie the mountains of the Richmond Range, with its highest peak Mount Richmond (1760 meters).

Economy

Picton's harbor plays an important role in the ferry connections to and from the North Island. There's also a large marina. Picton lies in Marlborough, New-Zealand's first and main wine region. Winegrowing started in the seventies of the previous century, proving that the country is capable of producing good wines.

Airports

The small Picton Airport maintains connections with Wellington, New Zealand's capital, on the North Island. The airport is situated south of town, at only 5 minutes by car from Picton, and is easily reachable by rental car via State Highway 1. Alternatively, there's Nelson Airport (regular connections with Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington), 114 car kilometers west of Picton and reachable via the Queen Charlotte Drive and State Highway 6.

Public Transport

Picton has no local public transport. Waikiki's marina is about a thirty-minute walk from the center; there are also taxis. There are regional bus connections with Christchurch, Nelson and Fox Glacier. Nelson Lakes Shuttles maintains bus connections with the main tourist attractions, like St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes National Park, Kahurangi National Park and destinations in the mountains of the Richmond Range.

Traffic and Parking

A rental car is an ideal means of transportation to enjoy the impressive nature in the region. The Queen Charlotte Drive, in the direction of Nelson, is a magnificent route along the northern foothills of the Richmond Range and the Marlborough Sounds. Picton has good road connections with the rest of the South Island via State Highway 1 which runs to Blenheim (the regional transport junction) and Christchurch.

Hotels

There's an abundance of accommodations in and around Picton ranging from backpacker's accommodations to luxurious hotels and villas. Especially for backpackers there's a lot of choice. Very popular are the so-called baches. They are cabins, often near water, which can be both basic and extremely luxurious. There are also plenty of possibilities to rent apartments. Finally there are several campsites near Picton and you can also stay with a winegrower.

External Sources

For more information about Picton, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Picton
• Official website Picton
• Tourist Information Picton