Home
Buddyfinder
Divelog
Forum
Search
 
 
WORLD ▫ OCEANIA ▫ NEW ZEALAND ▫ PICTON


Picton



Picton is a town in New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds. It is the South Island port for the Cook Strait Interisland ferries. It is a pleasant place to spend a few days as it serves as a convenient hub for exploring the beautiful Marlborough Sounds. Nearby activities include sailing, SCUBA diving to the wreck of the Soviet passenger cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov, fishing, biking and hiking.

Get In

By Boat
Take a ferry from Wellington. The main services are available are the
Interislander and Straits shipping Straits shipping the journey takes approx. 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

By bus
There are daily bus services that connect with the ferry sailings.

By car
Follow State Highway 1 from Blenheim. The state highway leads right up into the ferry terminal.

By train
The Coastal Pacific service operates daily from and to Christchurch, connecting with the 1 PM ferry sailing.

By air
SoundsAir operates frequent, daily, scenic flights between Wellington and Picton. As of December 2005 a one-way fare was NZ69, which is very close to the price of the ferry (which takes over 3 hours), making the 25 minute flight an affordable and convenient alternative. You may find booking online to be the cheapest choice.

See
  • The Edwin Fox, a sailing ship in the process of being restored.
  • The Marlborough Sounds.


    • Do
  • Boating
  • Yatching


    • Drink

    Seumus's pub on Wellington St is run by a man from Co. Derry in Ireland and has one of the best pints of Guinness in the southern hemisphere. 05:01, 23 February 2007 (EST)

    Get Out

    Water taxi services travel around the Marlborough Sounds as many properties have a waterfront access but no road. Tourists can tour the Sounds on these boats. There are a number of lodges and guesthouses in the Sounds.




    Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is near the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population in 2001 was 3,990. The town is named after Sir Thomas Picton, the military associate of the Duke of Wellington, who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo.

    Inter-island ferries to and from Wellington arrive and depart here by way of the Marlborough Sounds. Most of the sheltered part of the route is through Tory Channel, south of Arapawa Island. The township of Waikawa is a couple of minutes' drive from Picton, practically part of the same town. Waikawa hosts a marina, one of the largest in New Zealand.

    As of 2001, the unemployment rate in Picton was 4.3%, compared with 7.5% for all of New Zealand.

    Transport

    The Main North railway line and State Highway 1 link Picton southwards to Blenheim, Christchurch and beyond, while scenic Queen Charlotte Drive (shorter in distance but usually slower than State Highway 1/State Highway 6 via Blenheim) winds westward to Havelock.

    The daily TranzCoastal long-distance passenger train to Christchurch begins and terminates in Picton.

    Picton Airport at nearby Koromiko has regular services to Wellington and charter flights around the Marlborough sounds.

    Nearby settlements are at Anakiwa, Waikawa, and Shakespeare Bay.

    The Edwin Fox Maritime...

    more travelguide information

    This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The owner of this picture is dphershman, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hershman/ This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ The owner of this picture is jrgcreations, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrgcreations/ This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ The owner of this picture is MacAllenBrothers, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/micahmacallen/ This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ The owner of this picture is corvettediver, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70349997@N00/
    This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ The owner of this picture is noelweathers, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/77454909@N00/ This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ The owner of this picture is tiswango, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiswango/ This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ The owner of this picture is Atari, Gracinha &..., more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracinhamarco/ This picture is licensed under the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/). Type of license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ The owner of this picture is corvettediver, more information is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70349997@N00/


    The TranzCoastal Rail Service 5.5 hours

    TranzCoastal Train The TranzCoasta gateway to South Island adventure.

    The TranzCoastal travels between the delightful port of Picton and Christchurch, the South Island's largest city. This journey is a scenic feast, with the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side of your train and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline on the other. Along the way you pass though the village of Kaikoura, where you can break your journey to take in the whale watching or dare to get closer and swim with the dolphins.

    Travel through some of New Zealand's finest horticultural and farmland areas, and see amazing wildlife such as dolphins, seals and penguins from the comfort of your carriage

    The TranzCoastal travels through 22 tunnels and crosses 175 bridges, one of them being New Zealand's only road-rail bridge. As on The TranzAlpine, The TranzCoastal includes an open air viewing carriage where all your senses are awakened with the clean, fresh, sea air.

    Click here for more information and Booking Details

    InterIslander Ferry - Picton to Wellington 3 hours

    Interislander offers daily ferry services across the Cook Strait linking New Zealand's North and South Islands. Cruise across in 3 hours whilst traveling in comfort and style as you savor one of the world's most scenic ferry journeys.

    The picturesque port town of Picton at one end of the crossing is left behind as you cruise through the serene waters of Queen Charlotte Sound in the heart of the Marlborough Sounds. The sparkling clear waters and lush forests of the Sounds is breathtaking as you leave the South Island.

    Out of the Marlborough Sounds is the journey across Cook Strait, which itself has a dramatic beauty all of its own. Both islands can be viewed, including the magnificent Kaikoura Ranges and there is often the chance to see wildlife such as seabirds, dolphins, seals, whales and orca.

    At the other end of the crossing is the beautiful harbor of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington (North Island). The cruise across Wellington Harbor offers a unique view of this exciting city. Nestled between surrounding hills and the glistening harbor, Wellington is a vibrant city which has retained the charm of its early colonial heritage. Wellington is alive with some of New Zealand's finest restaurants, shopping and theatre - including the spectacular Te Papa Museum of New Zealand.

    We accept bookings for passengers only. Bookings including vehicle transfers will not be included.

    Click here for more information and Booking Details

    Queenstown Ledge Urban Bungy Jump 45 minutes

    Queenstown Ledge Urban Bungy Jump

    As the only urban Bungy in Queenstown, it was clearly AJ Hackett's duty to make it as crazy as possible. The Ledge Urban Bungy is like no other, in that it comes equipped with a 'runway' to launch you out 400 meters over Queenstown.

    What makes this special is the Bungy harness which allows you to vary your Bungy Jump style; try a flip, twist, or numerous other options all purpose built to provide a different Bungy experience and maximum rush. Not convinced? Try doing this all at night with the lights of Queenstown far below.

    Ride the Skyline Gondola 400 meters above Queenstown for panoramic views of Lake Wakatipu. A roundtrip of less than one hour makes this the ultimate "downtown" Bungy experience.

    Famous For:

    • Run and Jump Bungy style
    • Best views in Queenstown with access via the Gondola
    • Freefalling 400 meters over Queenstown
    • Only night Bungy in New Zealand

    "Physically, no harm will come to the jumper. The system is very gentle on a person who jumps. You can be a big strong guy or a little wee girl or a paraplegic or a very old person - it's no problem to jump all these people because the thing about Bungy is that it's from the shoulders up not the shoulders down? so it's inside your head." AJ Hackett.

    Click here for more information and Booking Details



    Submit a link |
    Errors? Mistakes?
    contact us

    Missing a feature?
    Please let us know in our Feedback forum


    Like this page?
    Add it to your social bookmarks!

    ADD TO DEL.ICIO.US
    ADD TO DIGG
    ADD TO FURL
    ADD TO NEWSVINE
    ADD TO NETSCAPE
    ADD TO REDDIT
    ADD TO STUMBLEUPON
    ADD TO TECHNORATI FAVORITES
    ADD TO SQUIDOO
    ADD TO WINDOWS LIVE
    ADD TO YAHOO MYWEB
    ADD TO ASK
    ADD TO GOOGLE

    Tell a friend:




    Top Scuba Sites - Best Scuba Diving Sites
    home | destinations | info | buddyfinder | divelog | forum | search | my scubish | about us | Submit a link | contact us
    (c)2007 Scubish Inc | All Rights Reserved | Terms and Conditions | Copyright Notices