(9)
From $75.50
Yay! This item has been added to your cart.
Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise
Recommended for your Picton trip
Free Cancellation
up to 24 hours in advance
4 hours (Approx.)
Offered in: English
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
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
Saved to wishlist!
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.
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.
Traveler Tips
- "If you sit up top, I recommend a warm jacket even on a sunny day and that your hat is tied on." See review
- "The postal run itself was fascinating, and it was very interesting in some cases to approach a jetty and collect/deliver post where the property itself couldn't be seen from the boat!" See review
- "The cruise lasted longer than we anticipated: need to extend our parking to 5 hours." See review
Reviews
Questions?
Product code: 6607MAILBOAT
Explore Similar Things to Do
Catamaran Cruises Water ToursHistorical ToursHalf-day ToursWater SportsCruises, Sailing & Water ToursCultural & Theme ToursOutdoor ActivitiesTours & SightseeingPictonCatamaran Cruises - South IslandWater Tours - South IslandHistorical Tours - South IslandHalf-day Tours - South IslandCatamaran Cruises - BlenheimWater Tours - BlenheimHistorical Tours - BlenheimHalf-day Tours - BlenheimCatamaran Cruises - WellingtonWater Tours - WellingtonHistorical Tours - WellingtonHalf-day Tours - WellingtonCategory
