Marlborough's geography can be roughly divided into four sections. The south and west sections are mountainous, particularly the southern section, which rises to the peaks of the Kaikoura Ranges. These two mountainous regions are the final northern vestiges of the ranges that make up the Southern Alps, although that name is rarely applied to mountains this far north.

The sub-national gross domestic product (GDP) of the Marlborough region was estimated at NZ$3.02 billion in 2017, 1.1% of New Zealand's national GDP. The three largest contributors to the region's GDP in 2018 were manufacturing ($519m), agriculture and horticulture ($357m), and other primary industries ($276m). The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $65,084 in 2017, the third-highest regional GDP per capita in New Zealand, behind Wellington and Taranaki.

When someday comes you'll need to get in.

When someday comes you'll need to be able to get around.