Queen Charlotte Mail Boat Cruise: Experience Authentic New Zealand Post Delivery Service

322 Ratings

Picton

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Experience the authentic New Zealand post delivery service on the Queen Charlotte Mail Boat Cruise. Join us as we deliver mail, groceries, and freight to the residents of Queen Charlotte Sound. Don’t miss this unique tour!

Duration: 4 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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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

Commentary on board
On-board restrooms

What's Not Included

Food
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Additional Information

For more than 150 years, mail has been transported via boat in the Queen Charlotte Sounds, a service we are proud to be the sole officially sanctioned New Zealand Post Rural Delivery Service by water in the Queen Charlotte Sound, rendering this tour truly unparalleled!
Join us on the Mail Boat Cruise to partake in the thrilling routine of Mail Day, as…

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

4.7

(322 Ratings)

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1 star

Needles66

Mar 26, 2026

Gentle enjoyable experience with friendly crew and opportunity to take photos - We loved the mail boat cruise and the concept of picking up bags that tourists wanted moving from one area to another to facilitate their hiking. The crew were friendly and the check in staff were excellent too. We had come in on a cruise ship and the whole thing dovetailed perfectly. We saw seals at the king salmon farm and took some great scenery photos.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Tracy_p

Mar 26, 2026

Comfortable transport and... - Comfortable transport and excellent commentary by skipper. Fantastic scenery and experience. Plenty of space for all on board. We stayed on the top deck all trip with warm clothes for a brisk breeze

Review provided by Viator

Airsails

Mar 9, 2026

Queen Charlotte Track 4 day walk on the mail boat. - Once again we walked the track, not the full track but had 4 great days. Easy 12-16kms each day using the mail boat to get to and from Picton each day. Stayed in a lovely apartment on the waterfront each night with the pub and restaurants right on your door. Beachcomber were great, allowing us to swap days around to suit our pace and weather and even a 10% discount for a multi day booking. We highly recommend this way of doing the Queen Charlotte Track, very relaxed and enjoyable. The afternoons waiting for the boat back to Picton are especially nice at Punga Cove and Furneux Lodge, cafe and bar at both.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

435jeanettew

Mar 9, 2026

Mail boat run - This was a great trip, the commentary was informative, we saw dolphins, rays and seals. We got off at a memorial for captain cook at the start of the Queen Charlotte Walk. Only thing we didn’t know you had to have your own cup if you wanted a hot drink.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Breda_j

Mar 8, 2026

You've Got Mail! - This was a wonderful experience. Great way to see the beauty & remoteness of the Sound. The additional quirkiness of the mail delivery made it a unique trip. Would highly recommend.

Review provided by Viator

Bredaj12

Mar 8, 2026

Sound day on the Sound! - We really enjoyed our cruise on the Mail Boat yesterday. The sun shone & it was wonderful to experience the Sound from the water, to see the remote dwellings & to experience the quirkiness of the postal service. Our Skipper was both entertaining & knowledgeable. We loved it & would certainly recommend.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

607sharlenev

Mar 1, 2026

Great afternoon experience - We did the afternoon Mail Boat Cruise. Even though the interislander ferries were cancelled due to the weather in Cooks Strait, the Marlborough Sounds were calm and pleasant for a cruise in and out of the inlets. The boat offers seating inside or on the deck, providing great views. The captain was informative with a good sense of humour. It was a great few hours meeting the residents and dogs of the sounds. Thank you Beachcomber Cruises.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

A7273gorichardw

Feb 28, 2026

What a lovely way to spend the afternoon! - So interesting - 4 hours spent exploring the Sound - with excellent commentary from the Skipper, whose extensive local knowledge made the trip so enjoyable! We delivered the mail and all the local dogs, waiting on the jetties, knew that the post was coming…as they all got a biscuit from our Captain as we pulled in! The beautiful, calm, weather helped!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Shirleyft2983nr

Mar 18, 2026

Very good apart from the on/off access. - It was a very enjoyable cruise. However they need better access on and off the launch, as for elderly people (I am 84) it was very difficult getting on and off as there is quite a big gap to step across.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

G9567dsbarbaras

Mar 14, 2026

A const-effective way of seeing the Sound. - A beautiful afternoon of sun and sparkling sea and therefore a good cruise, goign onto some small and outlying bays. This added to the atmosphere. The commentary was generally good, if a bit lackng in interesting detail, and easy to hear even on the upper deck. The pilot was interesting to talk to one to one. some of what he told us that way would have made interesting commentary. I saw a square brown disk being handed over at each landing stage and thought it was a 'we have deleveredd' token of some sort - till the thrid one was given direct to the ubiquitous dog - and he ate it. The mail boat pilot as kindly distributing dog biscuits!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $72

up to 9 guests

1 - Adult