Titirangi Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Titirangi Bay, Marlborough Sounds

by

Last Updated on May 18, 2023 by Jon Algie

The winding road to Titirangi Bay offers up many opportunities to see the Marlborough Sounds from above. There are countless great viewpoints, calm coves and rocky beaches as well as the Queen Charlotte Track. The highlight of this scenic drive, for us at least, was Titirangi Bay. Not only was it our favourite beach in the Marlborough Sounds but the views from above were pretty amazing.

Update: The road to Titirangi Bay is closed. You’ll need to catch a boat if you’re going there or to one of the lodges along that road — we really hope it reopens sometime soon as it’s such a scenic drive!

Titirangi Bay from Above

One slight gripe we were having with the road to Titirangi Bay was that a lot of the views were obscured by trees. The trees thin out towards Titirangi Bay and are replaced by farmland. It doesn’t look quite as exotic but it does open up the views. First up you’ll notice Port Gore towards the right. You can see part of the way you just travelled, with many small coves stretching into the distance. Drive a little further and Titirangi Bay comes into focus. From there the road continues down to a small camping ground where you can access the beach.

Port Gore, on the way to Titirangi Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New ZealandAbove Titirangi Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Before driving all the way down make sure to stop off and see the beach from above. There are a few places where you can safely stop on the side of the road. We found a little hill overlooking the beach and the water looked so tropical from that angle.

Viewpoint above Titirangi Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New ZealandStunning view above Titirangi Bay, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Titirangi Bay

As a rough rule, the beaches in the Marlborough Sounds look better from above. At sea level they tend to look a little rough and rocky, but Titirangi Bay is different. The sand is nice and the water is really clear and inviting. The best part is that you might get it all to yourself — we visited in high season (just after Christmas) and it was very quiet. This is more of a “local” beach / camping ground and a lot of people that visit have boats. There must be so many stunning places you can get to in a boat — try and befriend a local and you might get to find out!

Titirangi Bay Beach, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

Camping at Titirangi

The camping ground at Titirangi Bay is perfect for those who enjoy a bit of peace and quiet in a beautiful location. It costs $8 per person and there was heaps of free space (which isn’t often the case in this region over summer). The facilities seemed pretty basic but that’s to be expected this far from civilization.

Getting to Titirangi Bay

Most people drive to Titirangi Bay from either Picton or Nelson. From Picton it’ll take around two hours (three from Nelson). The last 20 km or so is along a gravel road but it’s in pretty good shape. There are heaps of places to stop along this route — look out for a post about it in the near future.

Did you enjoy our post about Titirangi Bay? Share it with your friends!

The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Instagram profile

Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Instagram profile

Latest posts by Jon Algie (see all)