Recently Viewed
Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary: Discover Rare Wildlife on a Picton Harbour Cruise
4.1
29 Ratings
Picton
Embark on a 4.5-hour boat excursion from Picton Harbour to Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary. Discover rare native birds, seals, and dolphins while learning about wildlife and cultural history.
Duration:
4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Queen Charlotte Sound - Cruise through the tranquil waterways of the Queen Charlotte Sound, see wildlife and native flora and fauna along the way
What's Included
- On-board restrooms
- Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
- Food
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Beachcomber Cruises keep cups for $6 in the office before you depart
Additional Information
Embark on a 4.5-hour boat journey from Picton Harbour to Motuara Island and beyond, relishing the rare sight of native birds and diverse wildlife. Explore the majestic Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary and Ship Cove while gaining insights into wildlife and historical culture from your knowledgeable captain. Revel in the stunning Queen Charlotte Sound panorama while spotting endangered native birds such as the South Island saddleback, king shag, little blue penguin, and kiwi, along with seals and uncommon dolphins.
Kindly remember that the tour commences precisely at 8:00am.
Offered for $6 at the office before departure are Beachcomber Cruises’ reusable cups as an environmental initiative to eliminate the use of single-use cups. Upon purchasing a Beachcomber Cruises’ cup, guests are welcome to savor complimentary tea and coffee for the entire duration of the tour.
- Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks to consume on board
- Closed-toe walking shoes suitable for walking are recommended
- We are not able to pick up / drop off at the Cruise Ship Terminal - you must make your way to our booking office
- Please note that this tour departs sharply on schedule at 8:00am
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility constraints
Location
1 London Quay
London Quay
Please meet us at the Beachcomber Cruises Office on the waterfront - the Corner of Wellington Street and London Quay, we are a black building with Blue Signage.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(29 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Cecilia_d
Feb 16, 2024
Lovely Island, great boat trip - Amazing views from the top of the island. The Marlborough sounds are really beautiful. By doing the boat trip you get to see things you can’t get to by road.
Review provided by Viator
Carol
Feb 10, 2024
Highly recommended - We loved the mail boat trip. The commentary from the driver was fascinating and heartfelt. Highly recommended to adults. Children may not find it occupied then enough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yotee69
Dec 7, 2022
Beachcomber crew curteous, helpfull and knowlegeable. - Great day out . Nice stable safe boats . Bird Iland , James Cook monument a must see if you are even slightly interested in the sea Lunch and serice at Furneaux Lodge exceptional . All highly recommended . Thanks to all
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frank_m
Nov 25, 2022
Cruising birdwatching a little hike Captain Cook History wonderful - A well managed comfortable cruise on the Queen Charlotte Sound from Picton out to Motuara Island and Ship Cove. An hour on the Island to see South Island Robins darting around, Kureru flying at the hilltop lookout and I’m sure I heard a Kiwi call near the pathway on arrival. The Australian fur seal sunning itself on the Jetty was a surprise too. Ship’s Cove is idyllic and a bonus was seeing a dolphin pod on the way back plus watching the skipper give a biscuit to a waiting dog on a pier. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
A321bird
Mar 11, 2024
A Magic Island - An amazing island with just the right amount of time to ascend to the summit and the incredible panoramic views. Excellent views of the unique bird species found on the island.
I was disappointed with the very short time we had by the Cook Memorial - the excuse that “we’re running late” by the boat skipper isn’t, I feel, good enough! Consequently it was a very rushed visit for everyone on that particular sailing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie_from_mi
Feb 16, 2024
Great day on Marlborough Sound. - The boat ride was beautiful. On the island, I felt rushed to climb to the viewpoint and get back down on time. We enjoy seeing birds but are not experienced birders. We could hear more than we could see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Crystal_f
Jan 13, 2024
Beautiful way to see the Picton area and beyond - The boat ride and scenery was beautiful. And the hike was nice. We only saw a couple of birds and we didn’t get any commentary or info from our skipper in the way. Nor did we have a guide like it appeared some did on the group after us. But the ride was great.
Review provided by Viator
Hanlie_v
Feb 20, 2023
A must do - The native vegetation and birdsong was so peaceful and the cruise back to Picton was spectacular, visiting all resorts and ships cove on the way, loved it
Review provided by Viator
X9864novirginiab
Feb 10, 2023
Not long enough on the island - A beautiful trip and a guide who had useful info. The blurb didn't say that we only had one hour on the island which wasn't really enough. It's not a big island but there is so much to see.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianne_h
Mar 5, 2023
Potential great trip became average - On trip out to Island there was no information given over the loud speaker to point ut things to the passengers. Found this a bit weird as the expectation was that you would expect something like that. Once we got to the island very little info given and we were left to it with all the other passengers. Not all the passengers were able to work up the hill which was challenging to a few people. Will admit bit surprised our boat changed, but the guy on the second boat at least kept us informed of what was going on
Review provided by Viator
More activities from this operator
