Lookout

Queen Charlotte Drive

The slow, scenic road from Picton toward Havelock and Nelson, with lookouts over the Grove Arm.

Photo: Pavel Špindler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

The alternative to State Highway 6 for Nelson: slower, narrower and far prettier, climbing out of Picton with a view back over the town and then following the bays of the Grove Arm past Ngakuta, Momorangi and Anakiwa.

Free
Views
Lookout
Scenic drive

Show on the Picton map Open in OpenStreetMap Directions

At a glance

Distance: Momorangi Bay campsite is about 13 km / 25 min along it; Anakiwa about 15 min further
Cost: Free
Getting there: By car or bike; the Link Pathway parallels much of it off-road

Panoramic lookout view across Grove Arm from Queen Charlotte Drive near Whenuanui Bay. Daniel Vorndran / DXR / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Queen Charlotte Drive

Queen Charlotte Drive leaves Picton past Shakespeare Bay and climbs almost immediately to a view back over the town, the marina and the ferry terminals — the photograph most people take of Picton is taken from here. It then winds along the Grove Arm of the sound with bays below it: Whenuanui (Becks Bay), Ngakuta, Momorangi and finally Okiwa Bay and Anakiwa before the road cuts across to Havelock. It is the scenic (and slower) way toward Nelson; published distances for the route vary enough between sources that we don't quote one — use a live route planner.

Know before you go

Queen Charlotte Drive was closed between Grove Jetty and Picton by slips in the 7–8 July 2026 storm. We have not found a dated official notice of its current status, so check NZTA and Marlborough District Council road alerts before you drive it.
Narrow and winding; allow more time than the distance suggests.