Marlborough Region

Marlborough is a unitary authority centred on Blenheim, with Picton as the other key town -- Picton is the South Island terminal for the Interislander and Bluebridge Cook Strait ferries connecting to Wellington, currently partway through a roughly $531 million Waitohi ferry-terminal redevelopment. If you're moving to or from the North Island by ferry rather than flying, Picton is genuinely the practical gateway town for that move.

Marlborough produces around 75% of all New Zealand wine, and Sauvignon Blanc alone makes up over 80% of the region's vineyard area and more than 85% of its wine production -- it's the variety's genuine global home, not just a well-known growing area. That concentration shapes the regional economy and job market noticeably around vineyard work, viticulture and wine tourism, alongside Blenheim's role as the main service and retail centre.