Hello  & welcome, everyone, to our new office on Picton’s waterfront! Check it out! So, after a herculean effort by architects, builders, you name it…  namely HUGE HELP from Sara, Dave, Mina & the rest of the MSAC crew, we are back in action in our new spot!  Our new home consists of a homely conference room, merchandise area,  ’perspex office bubble’ & a fully-equipped utility shed – very exciting!

To add to this move, we have had exciting new progress in branding, brochures, hats & t-shirt design. The new tees are now stocked up & ready go with designs fitted to our 3 main activities – walking, sea kayaking & mountain biking. The walking tee is modelled here by the lovely Marama    

We would also like to welcome you to the new MSAC cyberspace! We are now offering free internet to all clients. You can  join us on Twitter, Facebook & check out our site on www.marlboroughsounds.co.nz .

This is what they call a Summer, huh? Well, despite some wind & some unseasonal rain, we have had a few AWESOME days out here on the track & Sound. We’ve seen dolphins at Ngakuta Bay, had kayak races & hot cuppas on the beach. The good news is, it’s not over yet – still plenty of time to see the beautiful Marlborough Sounds! So, to all of those who are stuck at work, behind a computer or head in a book, or to those who would like to try something new – why not get out & get into it

The team at MSAC.

Andy Martin and Sara Gordon – two of our senior guides, celebrated their wedding day in adventurous style on Saturday 12 January 2008.  The groom and wedding party cruised on The Cougar Line’s "Sounds Adventure" to Bythell’s Bay in the Grove Arm of Queen Charlotte Sound on a beautiful but blustery afternoon.  Sarah and her bridal party arrived by float plane, landing on the beach in fine style.  After a romantic beach service in the sun, we all enjoyed afternoon tea before boarding the boat for a leisurely cruise back to Picton and the wedding reception at the Yacht Club Hotel with dancing afterwards at Le Cafe. Knowing how much Andy and Sarah enjoy boat washing as part of their job, we couldn’t let the chance go by as they walked past our office on the way to the reception.  We will miss these two wonderful guides as they now move on with their chosen careers.  Andy is training as a helicopter pilot and Sarah is in the 4th year of her medical degree.  Hopefully they will be back for "guest" appearances in the future.  We wish them well for their future together.

NZ Tourism Award Winners – Leisure Activity : Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company

Here we are looking suitably ecstatic after winning a NZ Tourism Award for Leisure Activity on 30 August 2007. 

Winning a NZ Tourism Award is the highest accolade possible in the New Zealand tourism industry.  It has been a long road to winning this award and the culmination of 12 years of really hard work.  Without the care and support of our amazing staff and all those operators who assist us to deliver our amazing Marlborough Sounds experiences, we couldn’t have done it.  I know it is a cliché, but it truly is a team effort.

We have always strived to provide the best tourism experience possible and unless you start to benchmark yourselves against the best in the industry, you are never truly sure that you are doing as well as you could.  The entry process is very rigorous and quite complex so we were delighted to just make the finals, let alone win. It seems to be a great source of amusement to our friends in Marlborough, that I was reported as being "speechless".  I have to admit that it was genuinely one of the few times, and it took a long time to actually sink in. 

We continue to strive to deliver the best experiences in the Marlborough Sounds, and this award has only energised us to deliver more and work harder.  We hope you all get the chance to benefit from those efforts sometime soon!