TRACK AND FIELD

WINE AND DINE THEN WALK OFF THE EVIDENCE IN THE SPELLBINDING MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS

Most Aussies first meet Marlborough over a glass of sauvignon blanc, but nothing beats going straight to the source. While it’s easy to see the appeal of vineyard hopping on a stretch that rivals a Dan Murphy’s aisle for variety, it’d be a shame to browse the backyard without checking out the front.

Ancient sea-drowned river valleys lace the top of New Zealand’s South Island, a playground for boating, fishing, hiking and wildlife watching that sprawls across 1500km of coastline and three main bodies of water: Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus sounds. Here’s how to squeeze more out of a short break:

GET A SOUND NIGHT’S SLEEP

No roads lead to Furneaux Lodge.

While the nature-wrapped retreat is easily accessible from pretty port Picton, it’s a disconnect that ensures arrivals by foot, bike or boat feel truly transported.

The lodge is a popular pit-stop on the iconic Queen Charlotte Track, a 70km span from Ship Cove to Anakiwa best appreciated at an easy three-to-five-day amble, but I’m taking the shortcut to serenity.

Whisked by a Cougar Line water taxi through the dreamlike web of waterways, we leave Picton’s amiable cafe culture in our wake. With a few stops to drop holidaymakers at accommodation hidden in idyllic inlets, we arrive with an escort of dusky dolphins.

Ribbons of low-lying cloud veil a landbefore-time, little changed since Captain Cook’s first visit to the inlet in 1769.

Furneaux Lodge’s family-friendly cottages, suites and cabins are scattered across flat lawns amid strategically placed hammocks and a hot tub, an oasis amid 2000 acres of New Zealand native forest.

Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are stacked alongside the jetty, ready to explore the Endeavour Inlet’s ombre-shaded shallows where you can spot stingrays, seals and little blue penguins.

Walkers on the first stage of the Queen Charlotte Track usually make a beeline for the bar and restaurant, shucking off shoes to collapse in a beanbag on the lawn in the languid afternoon sun.

Segue into a seafood dinner – 70 per cent of New Zealand’s greenshell mussels and 75 per cent of its farmed salmon comes from Marlborough.

WORK UP AN APPETITE

I managed to heave myself from the hammock long enough for a half-day track teaser, accessed directly behind the resort.

Taking one of the beguiling paths off the leafy main track, I stop to give the 1000-year- old rimu tree a hug before the gentle trek up to one of the many postcard perspectives of the sound served up along the way.

If, like me, you’re lucky enough to be staying overnight, pop your head back in after dark to see glow worms showering the bush with sparks.

It was enough of an introduction to entice me back for the full experience.

Set yourself a brisk pace and you can tackle the Queen Charlotte Track in as little as three days, but allow five to appreciate the many pleasant diversions.

Depending on your budget, bunk overnight at luxury resorts lapped by water, lodges, holiday homes and campsites.

Cougar Line can drop your gear at your accommodation each night so you don’t have to lug a pack around.

For an even tighter turnaround, the company has cruise and walk itineraries, including the five-hour stretch through virgin forest from Ship Cove to the sheltered shoreline of Endeavour Inlet.

EXERCISE THOSE TASTEBUDS

Between Furneaux’s first-rate fare and frequent chances to sample Marlborough’s most famous export, I’ve already picked up some excess baggage, but it’s time for the main event.

Whizzed by water taxi back to Picton, I board a bus captained by Gavin from Marlborough Wine Tours.

With 90 per cent of the country’s sauvignon blanc plantings and 30 wineries within a 24km circuit of Renwick, Marlborough is a conveniently condensed proposition for self-drive or cycle tours.

Choose your own adventure from cellar doors spruiking labels with the clout of Cloudy Bay, now under the care of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, through to the more experimental new guard like Misty Cove and Forrest.

If this is your first visit, it’s well worth splashing out on a tour for the extra insight … and guarantee your designated driver won’t be seduced along the way.

Gavin is determined our small group leaves with the ability to dazzle dinner guests with musings on the meniscus, leveraging his contacts to ensure we taste the toast of the town.

That unmistakeable passionfruit perfume bursts from glass after glass but, as some particularly lovely pinot noirs attest, this is no one-trick region.

While the idea is to prolong the party with petite pours, it’s still a merry crew by the time we’re on to our fourth and final vineyard.

Dinner at two-hatted Arbour, where wine stories are shared over seasonal produce, is the piece de resistance of a gourmet getaway.