Queen Charlotte Sound Mail Boat Cruise
Picton, New Zealand
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Cruises
Duration: 4 hours
Enjoy a scenic afternoon boat cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound on a working mail boat that visits Ship Cove and several remote communities. You'll share the excitement of mail day as you travel on board the New Zealand Post Rural Delivery Service boat, which takes different routes through Marlborough Sounds to reach isolated hamlets. Hear stories about the people and history of the region from your captain as you experience the rhythm of life along the waterways of the South Island.
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Enjoy a scenic afternoon boat cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound on a working mail boat that visits Ship Cove and several remote communities. You'll share the excitement of mail day as you travel on board the New Zealand Post Rural Delivery Service boat, which takes different routes through Marlborough Sounds to reach isolated hamlets. Hear stories about the people and history of the region from your captain as you experience the rhythm of life along the waterways of the South Island.
Head to the waterfront in Picton to meet the mailboat for your 4-hour tour on Queen Charlotte Sound. Every trip starts along the routes detailed below by day of the week, then wraps up with a 15-minute stop at Ship Cove.
The visit to Ship Cove gives you a chance to disembark at the inlet where Captain Cook anchored his ship, The Endeavor, in 1770. Explore the beach and see a memorial to Captain Cook, several large Maori statues carved from wood, and informative displays about the island. Birds such as oyster catchers, weka, and paradise ducks can be spotted here as well.
On Mondays and Thursdays, start 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.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, the 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.
The Wednesday and Saturday 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.
No matter which day of the week you travel, you'll get a glimpse of daily life in the small outposts that dot the Marlborough Sounds, as well as memorable views of the stunning scenery.
Please note: This is a sample itinerary that can change based on what time of the year you visit.
The visit to Ship Cove gives you a chance to disembark at the inlet where Captain Cook anchored his ship, The Endeavor, in 1770. Explore the beach and see a memorial to Captain Cook, several large Maori statues carved from wood, and informative displays about the island. Birds such as oyster catchers, weka, and paradise ducks can be spotted here as well.
On Mondays and Thursdays, start 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.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, the 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.
The Wednesday and Saturday 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.
No matter which day of the week you travel, you'll get a glimpse of daily life in the small outposts that dot the Marlborough Sounds, as well as memorable views of the stunning scenery.
Please note: This is a sample itinerary that can change based on what time of the year you visit.
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