Picton Foreshore Reserve is located in the small town of Picton New Zealand. The town is on the…read moreNorth Coast of the South Island and is known as the gateway to the islands and inlets of the Marlborough Sounds. Picton Foreshore has so much to offer it's residence as well as for all the tourist that visit the town. Situated right next to the water makes it a perfect spot to take advantage of all the water activities offered by local merchants. Whether renting a bike/boat or kyack/charter a fishing trip /taking a stroll along the waterfront or watching a beautiful sunset. There is something here for everyone to enjoy ! It's large grassy area is ideal for picnics and sun-bathing. Children's play area with pirate ships / mini golf /splash pad/restrooms/ hotels/resturants & cafe/ and plenty of shopping near-by ! A hidden "Gem" ! Live/Love/Travel !

A very easy two to three hour walk across mostly level ground from the parking lot through the salt…read moremarsh to the wreck of the SS Waverly. The sign does not indicate whether dogs are permitted or not. Expect to see lots and lots of birds. There is a picnic table at the ship. Wear appropriate shoes as some of the salt marsh is wet. Much of the marsh is featureless. I have seen wonderful pictures. I was only up for walking a half hour out and a half hour back but others, including a dude on an e-bike, were prepared for the full go. [Review 422 of 2024 - 75 in New Zealand - 21455 overall]

Decent accommodations for good pricing. Also good kitchen facilities. Only downside is $1 for a…read moreshower, but that's not too much considering the deal you'll get for staying there. Also very well located for the wineries, should you be there to explore those.

After spending the previous 16 days in sunny, temperate weather in Australia and the South Island…read moreof New Zealand, the weather suddenly turned overcast and threatening rain when we arrived in Picton, New Zealand. As our cruise ship docked at Waimahara Pier at 7:00 am, we wondered whether any excursions would be canceled due to the threatening weather. Most of our fellow passengers had signed up for this and the five other outdoor activities a year earlier, so we would have been disappointed if we couldn't experience the trail. Well, the drizzle and dark clouds weren't severe enough to cancel the 5 various scheduled excursions to explore Picton, so we intrepidly boarded the shuttle bus to Picton Harbor to catch a launch to the Queen Charlotte Track for a hike in the natural, lush landscape. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the 45-mile-long Queen Charlotte Track by speedboat, one of New Zealand's leading hiking or walking tracks. Of course, because we could not hike the entire track during a cruise excursion, as it would probably take several days to complete, the excursion covered only about 2 miles, a 4-mile round trip. We anticipated hiking on uneven, unpaved trails with elevation changes, with fantastic views of the Marlborough Sounds, while learning about the native plants, flowers, trees, birds, animals, and insects. We could have gone farther than 2 miles in, but because of the weather and for the safety of others who weren't as prepared for the slippery, wet, and muddy conditions, our guide turned us back. Also, because our ship was scheduled to depart Picton by 2:30 pm, we returned to the harbor by noon. Our guide was very knowledgeable, vivacious, and uber-fit! She made our trail hiking a pleasure and offered her guiding services to us if we ever consider returning to Picton, since we discussed our "bucket list" wish to hike the 33-mile Milford Track at Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park. I'd recommend hiking this trail to most fitness and experience levels but, I'll not sugarcoat the experience because there are parts of this trail where it becomes quite narrow or elevated where you will be challenged.

I had the pleasure of spending this past Labour weekend at the glorious Queen Charlotte Track also…read moreknow as...76 kilometres of PURE BLISS (at least for the outdoors-obsessed such as myself). There are a few long climbs but, in my opinion, this is a walk that can be completed by any moderately fit (and determined) person. I won't lie to you, getting up to some of those lookout points was a bit strenuous but HOLY HELL, they were worth it. My favorite was Eatwell Lookout #2 which included not only signage to let you know just how far London, New York, Auckland etc. was from that precise point, but also offered panoramic views across the entire, spectacular Marlborough Sounds. Refer to photo and drool. The great thing about QTC is that is offers options that cater to many different categories of trampers (i.e. a wide range of accommodation along the track [DOC campsites, homestays all the way through to to flash resorts]). The water taxi services also offer the option to carry your bags to your accommodation each day which proves mighty handy if you don't feel like walking for 8 hours AND lugging a tent/sleeping bag etc around :) Tips/notes/learn from my mistakes: - A QCTLC track pass is required for the second and third days which can either be purchased in Picton by the water taxis or at Punga Cove ($18). - You can complete the track in three days (albeit long ones). Four days is more than enough to finish it at a pretty leisurely pace. - Mountain bikes are allowed on the track outside of peak season. The MTB option did not look easy (specifically not for Days 1 and 2!) - Bring a camera and try to restrain yourself (unless you want to end up with 200+ photos like my click-happy self. This is what gorgeous landscapes to do to the best of us!) - Save a day for wine tasting in Blenheim before heading home! I mean you're already there, right? ;)

Brilliant This eco…read moreaquarium complete with little blue penguins was brilliant! Because we were waiting for the ferry the cost was half price $25 for 4 people. Small, affordable and fun with little penguins close up, fish, seastars, turtles etc, and a petting pool (although not a good idea as it encourages people to touch these creatures in the wild) A great place to go while waiting for the ferry, staff friendly and helpful.

After driving up from Blenheim, this was a nice spot for a quick rest and a little walk before…read morefinishing the drive. It's a pretty park and a few folks were dog walking this morning. The sign nearby points out the history of the park, "Nelson Square was set aside as a recreation reserve as part of the first survey of Picton - the square was laid out in the configuration of the Union Jack hence the uniform layout of the roads. By 1878, Nelson Square had been handed over from the Provincial Council to the Picton Board of Works (local council). From the beginning the Reserve became established as a sports field, despite repeated requests over the years from members of the public wanting the convenience of crossing pathways. For some time, a fence and locked gate excluded all but cricket club members. In the 1950s all fences were removed, the field leveled, corners rounded to their present shape and the field opened with access to all." There is parking on the street around the park. A few camper vans seemed to be using it overnight, not sure if that's allowed. [Review 440 of 2024 - 93 in New Zealand - 21473 overall]

Mini Golkf is very different to Crazy Golf. Mini golf has shaped courses, with less colourful…read moreobstacles and more just plain tricky challenges. Kiwi Mini Golf, based near the Ferry Terminal in Picton, is one of the former, rather than the latter, and is the first place where the SR actually lost his temper with a course. Super slidy, golf balls literally flew no matter how gently you tapped them. Fun, but frustrating all at one and much trickier than given credit - and of course, I won!

Wow we had so much fun on the Pelorus river today and the nature there is sumptious! We did a break…read moreto go swimming in the blue and green water...So good on such a hot day! The kayaking tour is perfect for families and people or all ages, the little rapids make it even more funny and shallenging... Thx again Shane for your energy and hapiness!

Planning our NZ South Island holiday, we scheduled the Pelorus Eco Tours, because of the promoted…read moreHobbit Kayak Tour- "enjoy kayaking the famous filming location of "Hobbit" movies"-we kayak a fair amount at home, so initially the high price for the short route was a bit meh feeling, but as LOTR fans, we were willing, and excited, for the opportunity to visit some film locations-learning about the area, and local experiences during filming. We did have a good time navigating the shallow rapids, observing the river's ambiance, but overall, we found the tour lacking compared to our expectation & prior experiences. Traveling all across the North & South Island, we blended our itinerary with NZ Culture & LOTR nerdom. This particular tour was meant to be boost LOTR, but the tour guide barely spoke to the filming, and when he did it felt forced, disconnected to a 'tourist' feeling-it was more of an afterthought, for how much it was promoted as a specific LOTR moment. Also, during the tour, while Shane was a fantastic guy to socialize with, he was training a friend on river guiding, so we found ourselves 'backseat' to the training, often waiting on him chatting with staff while we sat in open water mingling amongst ourselves. Overall, a lazy river experience, only entertaining for the few rapids we were able to ride down- we honestly had more fun on the LOTR set, once we knew where it was and went back later to complete our own hike- If going for the LOTR experience, research the waypoint, park at the camp, and take a leisure hike saving time/money. (but do take time to eat in Havelock, because the local dining was delicious)