Picton, New Zealand Tour Option

1/22/19. Picton:  Viator Tour.  Please reply if interested.  Guarantee Ship Return.

Viator.  Marlborough Sounds Cruise.  $120/couple 

Can book as Group to be on same Ferry...

Take in the sights of Queen Charlotte Sound and visit Ship Cove on a morning boat tour from Picton. The 3.5-hour journey follows a network of waterways as your captain narrates the highlights of the Marlborough Sounds. During free time while anchored at Ship Cove, see Maori wood carvings and a Captain Cook memorial, and explore the sheltered beach. Be on the lookout for marine life and other natural features of this breathtaking region while you sip complimentary tea and coffee on board. 3.5-hour boat cruise through the Marlborough Sounds to Ship Cove, from Picton Learn about the region's history from your expert captain Have at least 30 minutes to explore Ship Cove, Captain Cook’s favorite anchorage in New Zealand See beautiful Endeavor Inlet Travel along parts of the inter-island ferry route and Queen Charlotte Sound, located within the larger Marlborough Sounds Sip complimentary tea or coffee on board the boat 

Read more about Marlborough Sounds Cruise from Picton 2018 - https://m.viator.com/tours/Picton/Marlborough-Sounds-Cruise-from-Picton/d4769-6607SCENIC?mcid=56757

Paul's Thoughts:

Picton is a great sail in and sail out port for the Queen Charlotte Sounds so get a seat up front in the Sky Lounge like we showed you to do on Constellation 😉. Picton is the port for the Marlborough wine region but you will see that it is a busy port for the loading of timber. Unfortunately, you will not have the time to take the Mail boat up the Sound which stops at each house but you can do the round trip from Picton to Blenheim to Havelock to Picton. In Blenheim, if anyone has an interest in planes, there is the most fantastic  air museum called Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Quite unique and if you Google it, you will see what I mean. You can then drive on into the Marlborough wine country and visit so many vineyards. This is one of the most famous NZ wine regions. Drive onto Havelock which is the Green Lipped Mussel capital of the World for a special tasting.....so fresh and superb. Then continue back to Picton with beautiful views of the Sounds on the left. Do the drive in a clockwise direction mainly for the last section as you are driving on the left side of the road, not the right, and the views are better. A very small tip but well worth it. It is an easy drive. And well within the time limits but again maybe check on a local tour driver instead of the ship as I doubt that they would do my itinerary. Leaving out the Aviation Centre gives you plenty of time for food, wine and views but still worth trying to do it.

From Christchurch you can take the Tranz Alpine train that runs between Christchurch and Greymouth. This train runs right through the Souitern Alps. This journey can be done as a day return. https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/tranzalpine/

Since we are not stopping at the Christchurch port, this trip is only available through Celebrity.

(Probably too risky to do on own based upon port stop timetable and departure.)

Celebrity offers a Tranzalpine Trip with a Jet Boat Ride!  Pricey, but the only way to see the Southern Alps....