PICTON

Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001. The town is named after Sir Thomas Picton, the Welsh military associate of the Duke of Wellington, who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo.
Inter-island ferries to and from Wellington arrive and depart here by way of the Marlborough Sounds. Most of the sheltered part of the route is through Tory Channel, south of Arapawa Island. The township of Waikawa is a couple of minutes' drive from Picton, practically part of the same town. Waikawa boasts a marina, one of the largest in New Zealand.
As of 2001, the unemployment rate in Picton was 4.3%, compared with 7.5% for all of New Zealand

Transport

 The Main North railway line and State Highway 1 link Picton southwards to Blenheim, Christchurch and beyond, while the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive (shorter in distance but usually slower than State Highway 1/State Highway 6 via Rapaura, near Blenheim) winds westward to Havelock.
Picton is the main link between the South and North Islands, with scheduled ferry service over Cook Strait. The two main shipping companies operating this route are Interislander and Strait Shipping, with both offering Roll-on/roll-off capabilities for cars, trucks and sometimes trains.
The TranzCoastal long-distance passenger/tourist train from Christchurch makes a daily return trip to Picton.
Picton Airport at nearby Koromiko has regular services to Wellington and charter flights around the Marlborough sounds.
Nearby settlements are at Anakiwa, Waikawa, and Ngakuta Bay.
The Edwin Fox Maritime Centre features the Edwin Fox, the only surviving ship that transported convicts to Australia, which is undergoing preservation.

Education

The first school opened in Picton in 1861 at the corner of Devon Street and Broadway. A new school opened in 1882, and part of the old school was moved to the new site, but was destroyed by fire in 1928. A Catholic Convent school opened in 1915, and was replaced by St Joseph's in 1924.
Queen Charlotte College is a secondary (years 7-15) school with a decile rating of 4 and a roll of 400.
Picton School is a contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 3 and a roll of 120.
St Joseph's School is a state integrated contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a decile rating of 5 and a roll of 25.
All these schools are coeducational. Other primary schools in the area are at Linkwater, Koromiko and Waikawa.