Paddle from the picturesque Picton foreshore, across the harbour and into the Grove Arm of the Queen Charlotte Sound. The day’s highlights include golden beaches, bush-clad shorelines, native birdsong, and maybe even a dolphin or two if you are lucky.
Package Includes:
- guide
- all kayak equipment
- delicious morning tea and lunch
- luggage storage (if required)
- shower and facilities at our base (if required)
Trip Departure Time: 8.30am
Trip Return Time: 4.00pm
Duration: 1 day
Meet your guide at our base on the Picton waterfront at 8.15am. After a quick safety briefing and form-filling exercise, you launch from the Picton foreshore.
Paddling up the eastern foreshore of the harbour, you will quickly be entranced by your first foray into the azure waters and bush-clad shorelines that dominate the area. After an hour or so of relaxed paddling, it is time for morning tea on a secluded sandy beach.
Feeling refreshed and invigorated, you paddle across the Sound to the pristine shorelines of the western foreshore of the Grove Arm. Your guide enjoys sharing the fascinating history, wildlife and Maori legends of the area. We stop for lunch at one of the local bays, enjoying the peace and tranquility of this remote location.
Your day ends at Ngakuta Bay where you board a van for a 15 minute ride back to Picton.
If the conditions dictate, we may run this trip in reverse, or as a return journey.
Departs daily, from 1 October to 30 April each year, subject to a minimum of two people. If you are travelling on your own please contact us, as others may already be booked on this trip.
A winter option from 1 May to 31 September is available -please enquire directly.
When you book your trip, we will send you some detailed pre-trip information, however to give you an idea of what we recommend you wear or bring:
- Sun protection
- T-shirts and shorts for warmer weather
- Polypropylene or wool clothing – not cotton (if paddling from May to October)
- Warm wool or fibrepile jersey or jacket – not cotton.
- Windproof jacket. We do have paddling jackets available which (while not waterproof) protect against the wind
- Camera – we have dry bags for your cameras
- Shoes or sandals suitable for getting wet
- Dink/water bottle
FAQ’s
I have never kayaked before, can I still do this trip?
Yes, many of our clients have never sea kayaked before but find it really easy to do.
I can’t swim, will I be okay?
Yes, you will be wearing a buoyancy aid and you will be travelling in a party with a guide, so the chances of you capsizing and falling out of your boat are minimal. Your guide will have provided you with a briefing on what to do if you do capsize.
What do I need to wear for this trip?
‘Active wear’ is the broad answer. Shorts and T-shirt in warmer weather. Warmer base layer (merino, poloprop) in cooler weather. Something on your feet you are happy to get wet (sandals, flip flops etc are fine). Plenty of sun protection; sun hat, sun glasses, sunscreen & long sleeved T-shirts.
Do I need to be fit to enjoy this trip?
We recommend that you are at least of average fitness to enjoy this trip. You may feel a little tired in your shoulders after a day’s paddling, but we do have stops along the way and the pace is gentle.
What if it gets windy when I am out there?
Our trips are flexible enough that we can change the itinerary to meet the weather conditions. Ideally we try to organise the day so that the wind is at your back as much as possible. However, as with any outdoors experience, there may be times when you are required to paddle in windy conditions. If this is the case, then we try to minimise the time that you will be paddling into the wind.
Will we be in single or double kayaks?
Double. If you are a solo traveler or there is an odd number in you group you will be paired up with someone else or the guide.