Population
At the last New Zealand census in 2013, the combined population of the Marlborough and Kaikoura regions was 49,857. The majority of these people are located in the towns
of Blenheim, Picton and Kaikoura. Blenheim, which is located on the fertile Wairau Plain, has a population of over 24,000; Picton, at the terminus for the
Wellington-Picton ferries, has a population of over 2,500; and the Kaikoura township has a population of 3,555.| Main population centres: | |
| Blenheim | 24,183 |
| Renwick & Woodbourne | 2,517 |
| Picton | 2,745 |
| Havelock | 489 |
| Seddon | 507 |
| Kaikoura | 3,555 |
| Population mix: | |
| European | 93% |
| Maori | 13% |
| Pacific Island | 1% |
| Asian & Other | 1% |
| Age mix: | |
| Under 15 | 20% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% |
| 65+ | 16% |
Statistics from Statistics New Zealand
It's a Fact...
SATELLITE SPIES
The Government Communications Security Bureau operates a satellite spy base in the Waihopai Valley, near Renwick. The base is part of the ECHELON spy network, run by the UKUSA alliance of intelligence agencies. Shielded by two giant, white domes, its satellite dishes intercept a huge volume of international phone calls, telexes, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications. It gathers this data and forwards it the UKUSA alliance.
The Government Communications Security Bureau operates a satellite spy base in the Waihopai Valley, near Renwick. The base is part of the ECHELON spy network, run by the UKUSA alliance of intelligence agencies. Shielded by two giant, white domes, its satellite dishes intercept a huge volume of international phone calls, telexes, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications. It gathers this data and forwards it the UKUSA alliance.