queen charlotte sound

great walk and views. user friendly walks relaxing with beautiful fresh air. takes around 2 hours a must do

Didn't get to travel much around this place but what we saw was beautiful. And the people we met were incredibly friendly.

A delightful walk to see nature at its best Picton showcases Queen Charlotte Sounds....... WALKS START AT 20MINS FOR BEGINNERS TO APPROX 2 HOURS ROUND TRIP............ COSTS NOTHING ...............View Priceless

Exploring Queen Charlotte sound via Queen Charlotte Drive, the alternative route from Picton to Havelock you will find it is around 30 ks shorter in actual physical distance traveled but does take a little longer because of the extremely tight bends. The road is tar sealed all the way and the views are literally stunning so it is well worth the slight detour if you're not in a hurry. If you have time to spare you can turn off Queen Charlotte Drive along the way and head right out to sounds for a real treat but be aware narrow gravel roads are the norm and they do get pretty rough the farther out you get.

This was one of the best short holidays we've ever had and is a stunning way to see Queen Charlotte Sound. Affinity has 8 two berth cabins and a crew of three and is the most relaxing way to see this very beautiful part of the world. The scenery as seen from this motor vessel is superb. There are opportunities to go ashore at historic Ship's Cove which was visited 5 times by Captain James Cook, and also to nearby Motuara island, a bird sanctuary. The highlight was fishing for blue cod and other species and dredging for cockles - yum. The other passengers on our cruise were all friendly and team players. The crew were amazing and the cook managed great meals and snacks from a very small galley. The price included everything and was very good value for money. The skipper and first mate were most informative and very helpful to those who had never fished before. This is not a luxury vessel but is very comfortable and we slept well. Thank you all for a wonderful time. I must also mention that the booking staff were most helpful too.

Did a 7-hour hike, and the first hour or so was a rather challenging uphill. I'm not a hiking enthusiast, and admittedly found the last 3 hours or so of the hike exceedingly boring, both in terms of the repetitive landscape and the terrain. If you're not an avid hiker/trekker, just come here for the views, don't bother with the hike. Great views nonetheless.Note: The last ferry leaves the island at about 4pm. If you happen to still be walking and end up missing it, you'll have to spend the night there (the ferry terminal itself is built within resort-style accommodation grounds). Make sure you budget enough time for your entire hike.

We pass through the sound by ferry but also drove through the Queen Charlotte track and view it high up. Fantastic or majestic doesn't quite describe it. Spectacular? Anyway, you have to come and describe it yourself.The road is sealed but very narrow and we have to drive slowly and carefully as we are unsure of what's around the corner.It's best if you can share the driving so you can both have a chance to see the view. To be safe, the driver have to keep their eyes on the road at all times. Move on the side of the road or the slow lane to let the other drivers pass, if you're driving slow and unsure of what is around the corner.

We went by car up and around the bends were you can stop and get some great views from some of the pull-ins.

Whether by boat or walking the track, this is a must visit. THe scenery defies description it is so beautiful

Enjoyed the Mailboat cruise round QCS. The scenery is lovely, with many sheltered coves and wooded slopes. But compared to the Scottish Western Isles - not a patch I'm afraid. A kayaking friend of mine who visited the Marlborough Sounds to kayak there for five days described the trip as bordering on boring, because of the lack of any variety. What they do have is the weather, but when the weather is good in Scotland, it's got QCS well beaten. Still very much worth a visit though, so don't let me put you off!

We chose the Queen Charlotte Drive to travel from Picton to Havelock and we were glad we did. It is a very scenic drive with a very windy road overlooking the Sounds from high & low, and many beautiful photo ops along the way. The road is narrow in parts, but be prepared to find a spot to pull over if getting magical photos is your thing. There are many scenic outlooks, with Grove Arm & Ngakuta Bay being particularly 'photo worthy'! Definitely worth the drive.

except the Marlborough Sounds. A native, not a tourist, I take the time to reflect. And if you take a moment to just look and absorb the beauty and tranquility of our beautiful Sounds you will hear the song of the whales as they return, and the Tui and bellbirds singing their praises. And you will hear the awed whispers of strangers as they make their own discovery of our bush-lined waterways. Which is why people return over and over again.

We are in our 30's, my son is 14 and my father is his 60s.This track was very doablle for all of us. If you need a break stay an extra day or catch the water taxi like my mother did.As my mother was unable to walk the distance she met us each night at our accommodation via water taxi. We used Beachcomber Cruises as our water taxi service which I would strongly avoid using. The man on the boat was rude to my mother, did not call the accommodation to let them know when to pick up my mother and left the bags at the end of a jetty with no notification. I would recommend you use Cougar Line if booking a water taxi service in this region.

Awesone scenery, WINDY road!, wonderful photo ops, be prepared for very very windy roads, but the scenery is definitely worth it, i would recommend taking the road less traveled and going the longer route from Picton to Havelock.

I went on the ferry from Wellington across to Picton on the South island 2 years ago- the scenery is spectacular entering the sound with the deep water changing from deep blue to green in different places and all shades in between. The hills rise steeply and there are many little bays. I have just been on a road trip frm Christchurch to Nelson. Then from Nelson we drove the coastal road to Picton along the sound. It was a winding road with places to pull off and take in the beautiful scenery. It was great to get a different perspective and well worth taking that route.