Driving
Driving to Picton
Picton sits at the northern end of State Highway 1. Distances below, and the one thing that matters more than any of them: the live road status.
Photo: Pavel Špindler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Published
Check the road before you set out
Marlborough’s roads were hit hard by the 7–8 July 2026 storm. Reports at the time from NZTA and the Marlborough App recorded SH1 south of Kaikōura (Ward–Waipara) closed by flooding, SH6 briefly closed in Blenheim, and Queen Charlotte Drive closed by slips between Grove Jetty and Picton. We have not found a dated official notice of the current state of every road, so use the live sources: NZTA journey planner (state highways; freephone 0800 4 HIGHWAYS / 0800 444 449) and Marlborough District Council road alerts (local roads).
Distances and times
| From | Road distance (approx.) | Drive (approx.) | InterCity coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blenheim | 27–28 km, SH1 | about 25 min | 30 min |
| Havelock | via SH6 and SH1, or Queen Charlotte Drive | — | 1 h 5 min |
| Nelson | 134–140 km via SH6 and Blenheim | about 2 h | 2 h 10 min |
| Kaikōura | about 156 km, SH1 | about 2 h 10 min | 2 h 10 min |
| Christchurch | about 338 km, SH1 via Kaikōura | about 4 h 50 min | 5 h 15 min |
When the coast road south of Kaikōura is closed, NZTA publishes an inland alternate route between Picton and Christchurch via Nelson, Murchison, Springs Junction and Waipara (SH6, SH65, SH7 and SH1), roughly 478 km and 7.5 hours in NZTA’s own document. It is a detour, not the normal route.
Queen Charlotte Drive
Queen Charlotte Drive runs from Picton along the Grove Arm to Havelock: a slower, narrower and more winding alternative to SH6 for Nelson, with lookouts and bays along the way (Queen Charlotte Drive →). DOC notes vehicle restrictions: vehicles over 3,500 kg gross vehicle mass towing a combined length of more than 12.6 m are not permitted. Check its status after the July 2026 slips before choosing it.
Taking the car across
Both ferries take cars, campervans and trailers; book vehicle space early for peak times. Interislander’s vehicle check-in is on Lagoon Road, just after the NPD Picton Fuelstop, and closes 60 minutes before sailing; Bluebridge’s terminal is at 1 Lagoon Road. Details on the Interislander and Bluebridge pages.
Campervans
The council provides signposted day spaces for campervans and oversized vehicles in some Picton car parks. Freedom camping and overnight stays are prohibited in all public car parks in Picton. For camping, see holiday parks and camping.
Sources
- NZ Transport Agency — journey planner and highway conditions
- NZTA — Picton to Christchurch alternate state highway route (PDF)
- Marlborough App — storm update, 8 July 2026
- InterCity — journey times to Picton
- DOC — Queen Charlotte Drive vehicle restrictions (Cullen Point page)
- Marlborough District Council — parking and freedom camping in Picton
- Road distances: route-planning aggregators (Trippy, travelmath, distancecalc), cross-checked, not official.