Wilderness Guides can show you the Queen Charlotte Track and Marlborough Sounds like no-one else!

We live, work and play in this fantastic place - your guides are local people, have grown up here and call this area home. The Queen Charlotte Track and the Marlborough Sounds is fast becoming the place of choice for visitors looking for wilderness and adventure - yet with all the comforts of home!
Join us for guided sea kayaking hiking on the Queen Charlotte Track - or a combination with our original adventure combo tours on the Queen Charlotte Track New Zealand.

Wilderness Guides can introduce you to the Queen Charlotte Track Marlborough Sounds New Zealand - by foot and by sea - as a leading provider of adventure activities from our centrally located base in the charming seaside port of Picton. Read on for more . . . this is where your adventure begins!

What makes your sea kayaking experience in the Marlborough Sounds different to other parts of New Zealand? The climate for a start - here at the top of the South Island, visitors can enjoy a generally settled year round climate with many more paddling days available than in other sea kayaking destinations around the country. With 1500km of coastline to explore, stretching from just north of Kaikoura to the tip of d'Urville Island, the Marlborough Sounds is a truly remarkable sea kayaking destination. Trips include the One Day Guided Kayak or for those wanting to walk the Queen Charlotte Track the One Day Guided Kayak & Walk or a Queen Charlotte Track Mountain Bike and Kayak 1 day trip. For clients visiting the Marlborough Sounds for a longer time we recommend the Four Day Gourmet Walk & Kayak

See also Standard Four Day Guided Marlborough Sounds Sea Kayaking Trip

One Day Guided Sea Kayaking Marlborough Sounds

Itinerary

Meet at our centrally located office at the Picton Railway Station at 8.30am, time for a spot of paperwork and then we depart for our launch point at Ngakuta Bay, just 20 minutes scenic drive from Picton. We prefer to take you away from the harbour environs to the truly spectacular western end of the Sound where there is less boat traffic and many beautiful bays and coves to explore as well as wildlife to see.

After a detailed safety briefing (we've been told by guests ours is one of the best in New Zealand!), it is time to set off on a great day's adventure. Your guide will be with you for the day to answer questions, share pearls of wisdom and ensure your comfort and wellbeing. Depending on the weather, we will vary our route each day to take advantage of sea breezes at our back - we don't follow an enforced plan which enables us to cater for all abilities on the day.

On any given day, you have a good chance of seeing sting rays and eagle rays, a huge variety of sea birds including cormorants and sometimes little blue penguins, seals, huge starfish and if we are really lucky, even dolphins. And, don't forget lunch - we love our food and you'll be impressed at what goodies we can produce from out of the kayaks! Without a doubt, the best kayaking lunch on offer in the Marlborough Sounds and what's more, it is all sourced and made locally so you are truly supporting the local economy.

As the day draws to a close, we return to the waiting van at Ngakuta Bay and meander back to Picton, returning to our office by 3.30/4pm.

We supply good quality double kayaks (singles available for more experienced paddlers), PFDs (lifejackets), splash jackets, booties, spraydecks and dry bags (including for your camera).

What Do You Need To Bring?

• Extra warm clothing - shorts and t-shirt is fine to wear over the summer months; polypropylene is great for cooler days!
• Sunhat & sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Camera (optional - dry bags available)
• Soft soled shoes that you don't mind getting wet - booties are also available.
• Any special dietary items or medication
• A sense of fun and adventure!

One Day Guided Sea Kayaking and Walk

Itinerary

Meet at our centrally located office at the Picton Railway Station at 8.30am, time for a spot of paperwork and then we depart for our launch point at Ngakuta Bay, just 20 minutes scenic drive from Picton. We prefer to take you away from the harbour environs to the truly spectacular western end of the Sound where there is less boat traffic and many beautiful bays and coves to explore as well as wildlife to see.

After a detailed safety briefing (we've been told by guests ours is one of the best in New Zealand!), it is time to set off on a great day's adventure. Your combo begins with a guided sea kayak tour in what is truly some of the best paddling in the Sounds in the western arm of Queen Charlotte Sound. Within a short time you are exploring the shoreline, spotting rays and sea birds and learning about the lush native bush near the water's edge.

Your kayak tour concludes a few hours later at Anakiwa. Here you can don your tramping boots and pack, get some instruction for the walk ahead and depart on your independent hike of the Queen Charlotte Track from Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay. This section of the track passes through some of the nicest bush of the whole 71km walk and is a moderate walk of around 3-4 hours (11km). Views, bush, beaches - this walk has it all!

At the conclusion of the Queen Charlotte Track, you will walk down to Mistletoe Bay in time for collection by a water taxi at 4pm to return to Picton. It's a great way to finish - a thrilling boat ride with fantastic views back towards where you've been. Your return time to Picton is around 4.30/5pm.

We supply good quality double kayaks for the guided kayak trip (singles available for more experienced paddlers), PFDs (lifejackets), splash jackets, booties, spraydecks and dry bags (including for your camera) plus lunch for you to take with you on your walk.

What Do You Need To Bring?

• Extra warm clothing - shorts and t-shirt is fine to wear over the summer months; polypropylene is great for cooler days!
• Sunhat & sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Camera (optional - dry bags available)
• Soft soled shoes that you don't mind getting wet - booties are also available. Or, paddle barefoot!
• Walking shoes or boots for the hike - running shoes are fine if the track is dry.
• Day pack for the hike
• Raincoat
• Any special dietary items or medication
• A sense of fun and adventure!

One Day Guided Sea Kayaking and Mountain Bike

Itinerary

Meet at our centrally located office at the Picton Railway Station at 8.30am, time for a spot of paperwork and then we depart for our launch point at Ngakuta Bay, just 20 minutes scenic drive from Picton. We prefer to take you away from the harbour environs to the truly spectacular western end of the Sound where there is less boat traffic and many beautiful bays and coves to explore as well as wildlife to see.

After a detailed safety briefing (we've been told by guests ours is one of the best in New Zealand!), it is time to set off on a great day's adventure. Your combo begins with a guided sea kayak tour in what is truly some of the best paddling in the Sounds in the western arm of Queen Charlotte Sound. Within a short time you are exploring the shoreline, spotting rays and sea birds and learning about the lush native bush near the water's edge.

Your kayak tour concludes a few hours later at Anakiwa. Here you collect your mountain bike, get some instruction for the ride ahead and then depart on your independent bike of the Queen Charlotte Track from Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay. This section of the track passes through some of the nicest bush of the whole 71km walk and is an exhilarating ride of around 2-3 hours (11km). Views, bush, beaches - this section of the track has it all!

At the conclusion of the Queen Charlotte Track, you ride down to Mistletoe Bay in time for collection by a water taxi at 4pm to return to Picton. It's a great way to finish - a thrilling boat ride with fantastic views back towards where you've been. Your return time to Picton is around 4.30/5pm.

We supply good quality double kayaks for the guided kayak trip (singles available for more experienced paddlers), PFDs (lifejackets), splash jackets, booties, spraydecks and dry bags (including for your camera) plus lunch for you to take with you on your bike ride. Our mountain bikes are quality, 27 speed mountain bikes (Kona Blast) with front suspension and disc brakes - just the thing for this sort of trail!

What Do You Need To Bring?

• Extra warm clothing - shorts and t-shirt are fine to wear over the summer months; polypropylene is great for cooler days!
• Sunhat & sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Camera (optional - dry bags available)
• Soft soled shoes that you don't mind getting wet - booties are also available. Or, paddle barefoot!
• Shoes for biking in
• Day pack
• Raincoat
• Any special dietary items or medication
• A sense of fun and adventure!