Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EXPLORING THE MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS
The Marlborough Sounds are a maze of peaks, bays, beaches and watery reaches, formed when the sea flooded
deep river valleys after the last ice age. They are very convoluted: Pelorus Sound, for example, is 42km long but
has 379km of shoreline.
Many spectacular locations can be reached by car. The wiggly 35km drive along
Queen Charlotte Drive
from
Picton to Havelock is a great Sounds snapshot, but if you have a spare day, head out to
French Pass
(or even
D'Urville Island
) for some big-picture framing of the Outer Sounds. Roads are predominantly narrow and occa-
sionally unsealed; allow plenty of driving time and keep your wits about you.
Sounds travel is invariably quicker by boat (for example, Punga Cove from Picton by car takes two to three
hours, but just 45 minutes by boat). Fortunately, an armada of vessels offer scheduled and on-demand boat ser-
vices, with the bulk operating out of Picton for the Queen Charlotte Sound, and some from Havelock for Kene-
puru and Pelorus Sounds.
There are walking, kayaking and biking opportunities, but there's diving as well - notably the wreck of the
Mikhail Lermontov,
a Russian cruise ship that sank in Port Gore in 1986.
From Picton
Most of Picton's boat operators depart from the smart Town Wharf. They offer everything from direct lodge
transfers to cruises taking in sites such as
Ship Cove
and
Motuara Island
bird sanctuary, to round-trip
Queen
Charlotte Track
transport and pack transfers that allow trampers to walk without a heavy burden. Bikes and
kayaks can also be transported.
Wharf; track round trip $105, full-day tour from $80) Queen Charlotte Track transport, plus various half- and
full-day cruise/walk trips, including the rather special (and flexible) ecocruise to Motuara Island and a Ship Cove
picnic.
www.beachcombercruises.co.nz
;
Town Wharf; mail run $93, cruises from $35, track round trip $99) Two- to
four-hour cruises, some with resort lunches. Cruise/walk, cruise/bike and Queen Charlotte Track options avail-
able.
Town Wharf; 1-day trip from $120, kayak/bike hire per day $60) Host of the popular and flexible one- to three-
day 'multisport' trips (kayak/walk/cycle) plus many other guided and independent biking, tramping and kayaking
tours including a remote Ship Cove paddle. A good range of bicycles also available for hire.
www.marlboroughsounds.co.nz
;
Town Wharf; half- to 3-day packages $85-545) Bike-walk-kayak trips, with op-
tions to suit every inclination and duration. A top day option is the kayak and hike ($175). Gear rental (bikes,
kayaks and camping equipment) also available.
Town Wharf; dolphin swimming/viewing $165/99, other tours from $75) Half-day 'swim with dolphins' and
wildlife tours including trips to Motuara Island.
Myths & Legends Eco-Tours
( 03-573 6901;
www.eco-tours.co.nz
;
half-/full-day cruises $200/250) A
chance to get out on the water with a local Maori family - longtime locals, storytellers and environmentalists.
There are six different trips to choose from, including bird-watching and visiting Ship Cove.
