1 Day Multi Adventure - Queen Charlotte Sound & Track

Home 1 Day Multi Adventure – Queen Charlotte Sound & Track

This adventure is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the magic of the Queen Charlotte Sound and Queen Charlotte Track for a day – by paddle and boot or bike.

Join the guided morning sea kayak trip from Picton to Mistletoe Bay then you leave your guide and collect your bike, or don your walking boots, for a walk or ride on Queen Charlotte Track. Return at the end of the day by water taxi to Picton. A very special day experience.

$240 per personNZ per person
Package Includes:
  • Guided sea kayak trip for the morning
  • Water transfers from end of track
  • Bike and transfer of bike (if option taken)
  • Packed lunch
  • Return transfer of kayak
  • QCTLC Pass

Trip Departure Time: 8.30am

Trip Return Time: 4.30pm

Duration: 1 day

Join the guided sea kayak trip for the morning before heading off to Mistletoe Bay at the Head of Onahau Bay. Drop your sea kayak at the jetty and join the Queen Charlotte Track for a 12.5 km hike or mountain bike.

From Mistletoe Bay it is a steady ride to the top of the hill to join the Queen Charlotte Track. The track sidles around the eastern side of Onahau Bay and the views are stunning as you look back along Queen Charlotte Sound. The track then follows the Grove Arm foreshore through stunning native beech forest on a gradual descent to Anakiwa, where the water taxi picks you up an takes you back to Picton

Please note that the afternoon walk or bike is not guided and you are responsible for yourself for the rest of this trip.

Available 1st October  to Easter

Mountain Biking: The Queen Charlotte Track is a single track, and some mountain biking experience is
recommended to enjoy this trip.

Personal Equipment

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 (we can supply these, if required)
  • Change of underwear and shorts (in case get wet while kayaking)
  • Day Pack to transfer gear for afternoon in
  • If walking – sturdy shoes
  • If biking – shoes suitable for riding (not tramping boots)

 

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.

We are  not sure about biking or walking on our own

If you are unsure about biking or walking on your own, then this may not be the best option for you.  However, this section of the track that you will be walking/biking on is achievable for most people to enjoy independently. It is one of the more popular sections due to the terrain being easier to walk/ride.

I haven’t done much mountain biking before – is this option suitable for me?

This section of the track is the easiest to mountain bike (compared to the rest of the track) but is still a single track which means that it is narrow in parts, and does have steep drop-offs so caution is required at all times. The surface can be slippery if there has been rain, and there are some rocks and tree roots also.  If you haven’t mountain biked before, then we would not recommend this option.

Will I be back in time to catch a ferry or bus?

Your water taxi returns you to Picton around 4.30pm.  So there is time to catch the 6.00pm ferry to Wellington if required.

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.