A view of the harbour in Picton.
Picton is located at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The population (2001) is 3,063. It was named after Sir Thomas Picton the military associate of the Duke of Wellington who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo.
The inter-island ferry services arrive and depart here on their way to and from Wellington by way of the Marlborough Sounds. Most of the sheltered part of the route is through Tory Channel south of Arapawa Island.
The railway system links from Picton to Christchurch. State Highway 1 proceeds south towards Blenheim and beyond, while a scenic road (shorter in distance but usually slower than the route via Blenheim) winds westward to Havelock.
Nearby settlements are at Anakiwa, Waikawa, and Shakespeare Bay.
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