Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise

4 Hours

Mobile Ticket

Hotel Pickup Offered

English

Language Offered

Overview

Visit the remote communities of Queen Charlotte Sound aboard a working mail boat. This scenic 4-hour boat cruise departs Picton in the afternoon and makes New Zealand Post rural delivery service along different routes each day of the week. Experience the lifestyle of the Marlborough Sounds firsthand as the boat captain shares regional history and stories of these isolated hamlets. Enjoy complimentary tea and coffee on board and disembark for a 15-minute stop at Ship Cove (1st Oct to 30th April).

4-hour cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound on the mail boat, from Picton
Travel with the only official New Zealand Post rural water delivery service in the region
See remote communities in the Marlborough Sounds, which constitute a fifth of New Zealand's coastline
Visit Ship Cove (1st Oct to 30th April), a favorite anchorage of Captain Cook and site of early contact between Maoris and Europeans
Learn about the history of the region from your experienced captain
Disembark at Ship Cove to see the Captain Cook memorial, Maori wood carvings and stroll along the beach

Inclusions & Exclusions

Departure & Return

What To Expect

View the magnificent scenery of the Marlborough Sounds and get a glimpse of daily life in the remote outposts via New Zealand Post rural delivery service through Queen Charlotte Sound.Meet the mail boat in the afternoon at the Picton waterfront, and relax with complimentary tea and coffee on board. The 4-hour boat tour travels into various bays, coves and inlets detailed by the captain, then wraps up with a stop at Ship Cove (1st Oct to 30th April) where Captain Cook anchored the Endeavor in 1770.You have 15 minutes here to explore the beach and see a memorial to Captain Cook as well as wood-carved Maori statues. Read informative displays about the island and search for birdlife such as oyster catchers, weka and paradise ducks.Mail routes change depending on the day of the week; see the Itinerary for a sample of scheduled delivery.ItineraryMonday and ThursdayStart by cruising through Queen Charlotte Sound to Kaipapa, a small cove in Kumototo Bay. Continue into Blackwood Bay to drop off mail, then pass a king salmon fish farm en route to Ruakaka Bay where the boat stops at a local residence. Then deliver mail to the Bay of Many Coves Resort and make a few more mail stops at Arapawa Island before pulling into Ship Cove.Tuesday and FridayThe mail boat heads to Curious Cove and then the Tory Channel, traveling along one side past Te Pangu as far as Whekenui, where the Tory Channel enters Cook Strait. Return along the other side of the channel, making a few mail drops along the way, before heading to Ship Cove. Wednesday and Saturday The mail deliveries stop first near the East Bay King Salmon Farm on Arapawa Island. Then sail to the top of East Bay for a couple of mail drops. On Saturdays, the run goes to Cape Jackson, a community that only receives deliveries once per week due to the distance. On your return, stop at Ship Cove.Please note: This is a sample itinerary that can change based on what time of the year you visit.

Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise

Inclusions & Exclusions

Departure & Return

What To Expect

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

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