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Marlborough Sounds Ward

District · Marlborough Region, 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Area 2,610 km²
Time zone Pacific/Auckland
Marlborough Sounds Ward

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Featured Lists

Marlborough Sounds Ward Essentials

The Marlborough Sounds Ward encompasses a complex network of ancient sunken river valleys and rugged islands. This selection features Ship Cove, where Captain Cook anchored in the 1770s, and the historic Treaty of Waitangi signing site at Port Underwood. Natural highlights include the bioluminescent glow worm trails at Whites Bay and the crystal-clear Emerald Pools. In Havelock, the region's culinary identity is showcased through its famous Greenshell mussels and local heritage museum.

10 places

Wilderness Huts

This collection features backcountry shelters and alpine huts primarily within the Mount Richmond Forest Park and the Marlborough Sounds. Ranging from 16-bunk serviced huts on the Dun Mountain Trail to remote 2-bunk bivouacs in the Richmond Range, these facilities support multi-day tramping on the Pelorus Track and the challenging Alpine Route. Most huts are managed by the Department of Conservation and provide essential wood burners and rainwater collection for hikers navigating this rugged terrain.

14 places
Phillip Capper / CC BY 2.0

Coastal Lookouts & Bays

The Marlborough Sounds comprise a vast network of submerged river valleys at the South Island's northern tip. This collection spans the rugged eastern coastline of Port Underwood, the intricate reaches of Pelorus Sound, and the iconic Queen Charlotte Sound. Key vantage points like French Pass provide views of the turbulent waters between D'Urville Island and the mainland, while lookouts along the Queen Charlotte Track, such as Eatwells and Onahau, offer 360-degree perspectives of the Tennyson Inlet and surrounding forested peninsulas.

13 places

Marlborough Sounds Ward — Map

Marlborough Sounds Ward — Map

Climate & when to visit

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Great
  • 19° (feels like 16°) · extremes 12°–22°
  • 15° at night
  • 8 rainy days
  • 18 sunny days
  • 10 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 16°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 10 · very high

Typical weather in February

Great
  • 19° (feels like 17°) · extremes 12°–23°
  • 15° at night
  • 7 rainy days
  • 16 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Comfortable humidity
  • Light breeze
  • 17°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 9 · very high

Typical weather in March

Good
  • 18° (feels like 15°) · extremes 11°–21°
  • 14° at night
  • 8 rainy days
  • 17 sunny days
  • 8 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 16°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in April

Good
  • 16° (feels like 13°) · extremes 9°–19°
  • 12° at night
  • 10 rainy days
  • 13 sunny days
  • 6 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 15°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in May

Fair
  • 14° (feels like 10°) · extremes 7°–17°
  • 11° at night
  • 11 rainy days
  • 11 sunny days
  • 5 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 14°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in June

Fair
  • 13° (feels like 8°) · extremes 5°–15°
  • 9° at night
  • 12 rainy days
  • 7 sunny days
  • 4 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 13°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in July

Poor
  • 12° (feels like 7°) · extremes 5°–14°
  • 8° at night
  • 12 rainy days
  • 9 sunny days
  • 5 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 12°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 1 · low

Typical weather in August

Poor
  • 12° (feels like 7°) · extremes 5°–14°
  • 8° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 12 sunny days
  • 6 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 12°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in September

Fair
  • 13° (feels like 8°) · extremes 6°–16°
  • 9° at night
  • 12 rainy days
  • 14 sunny days
  • 7 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 12°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in October

Fair
  • 14° (feels like 10°) · extremes 7°–17°
  • 10° at night
  • 13 rainy days
  • 15 sunny days
  • 8 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 13°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in November

Good
  • 16° (feels like 12°) · extremes 8°–19°
  • 11° at night
  • 11 rainy days
  • 16 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 14°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 8 · very high

Typical weather in December

Good
  • 18° (feels like 14°) · extremes 10°–21°
  • 13° at night
  • 11 rainy days
  • 15 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • 15°C · too cold to swim
  • UV index 9 · very high

Climate data: NASA POWER + Copernicus ERA5-Land and ERA5; NASA POWER + Copernicus ERA5 · 1996–2025

Practical information

Currency
New Zealand Dollar NZD $ · Card payments · Widely accepted
Emergency numbers
111
Electricity
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Languages
English, Māori
Tap water
Safe to drink
Driving side
Left
Calling code
+64
Learn more

Tours & Activities

Stephens Island Light
Drive
Captain Cook's Monument
Drive
Port Underwood Lookout

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Related destinations

Marlborough Region

Other Destinations

Wairau Valley Queen Charlotte Sound D'Urville Island Wairau Lagoons Wetland Management Reserve Blenheim Ward Picton Scenic Reserve

Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikipedia, Tripomatic, Official websites, geoBoundaries (CC BY 4.0).