Activity

Water taxis

Everyday transport in the Sounds — to the track, to the lodges, to bays with no road.

Photo: Diego Tirira / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

A small fleet of Picton operators runs scheduled and on-demand boats to the Queen Charlotte Track jetties, Kaipūpū, the outer-sound lodges and anywhere else without a road. Luggage transfers let track walkers carry a day pack.

On the water
No car needed
Near the ferry

Show on the Picton map Open in OpenStreetMap Directions

At a glance

Cost: Fares vary by destination and season — see operators
Departs from: Picton foreshore; Katabatic from Waikawa Marina

The churned wake of a ferry entering the narrow Tory Channel — A ferry's wake as it enters Tory Channel from Cook Strait. Pseudopanax / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

About Water taxis

Much of the outer Sounds has no road at all, so the water taxi is not a novelty here but the bus. The same boats that drop walkers at Ship Cove pick them up part-way along the track, run to Kaipūpū Sanctuary across the bay, and carry guests to lodges like Lochmara and Punga Cove. We don't list schedules or prices because both change with season and route; check the operator on the day.

Operators

Listed alphabetically by category, with no ranking implied. Each was confirmed as trading from its own website on the date shown at the foot of this page; prices, departure times and seasons change, so follow the link for current detail.

Cougar Line — Water taxi, Queen Charlotte Track transport and luggage transfers. cougarline.co.nz
Beachcomber Cruises — Water taxi and track transport, including the Great Track & Pack Pass luggage service. Family-owned, operating since 2006. beachcombercruises.co.nz
Picton Water Taxis — On-demand water taxi, charter cruises and barge hire for freight. pictonwatertaxis.co.nz
Katabatic Charters — Water-taxi transport and charters from Waikawa Marina. kcandm.co.nz