7 Day Discover Marlborough Sounds

Make your way to the designated meeting point in Blenheim for your transfer to Heritage Explorer in Picton (times and meeting point will be confirmed with your voyage documents).

The Captain and Expedition Team will be waiting to welcome you aboard Heritage Explorer and show you to your cabin. You will have the opportunity to familiarise yourself on board then join fellow travellers and your Expedition Team as we set sail along Queen Charlotte Sound this afternoon.

In 1642, Abel Janszoon Tasman first sighted d’Urville Island, later visited by Captain James Cook during his expeditions to Queen Charlotte Sound. Over two days, we’ll explore Queen Charlotte Sound’s waterways and islands, walking sections of the Queen Charlotte Walkway and searching for birdlife on predator-free islands. A visit to Tory Channel will bring the whaling history to life, and we’ll visit Ship Cove to learn about Cook’s history and memorial. On Blumine Island, we’ll see rare bird species like the Orange-fronted Parakeet and South Island Saddleback, both of which have been successfully reintroduced.

Today we sail through the iconic French Pass and the wake of French Explorer Dumont d’Urville and then explore the island named in his honour. The outermost island in the Marlborough Sounds, d’Urville Island features imposing sea cliffs along its
west coast, a high mountainous backbone and the fastest moving tidal flows in New Zealand between the French Pass tempered by some of the country’s finest peninsula scenery.

Dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals are frequently seen in the waters surrounding the island and it was here that Pelorus Jack, the endearing Risso’s Dolphin who famously stole the nation’s heart, guided ships through these waters between 1888 and 1912.

The largest in the Marlborough Sounds, Pelorus Sound’s main channel winds some picturesque 55-kilometres south between steep verdant hills from Cook Strait to Havelock. Boasting 380-kilometres of shoreline, the endless bays and sheltered coves of
Pelorus Sound are perfect for exploration.

Venturing into Pelorus Sound we head to Ngawhakawhiti Bay where nature surrounds us and it’s possible to get a glimpse of what the sounds would have been like before the native forest was cleared. The more active are able to enjoy the walking part of the Nydia Track before we explore Nydia Bay. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner and celebrate our adventures.

We arrive into the inner reaches of Pelorous Sound this morning. After a final breakfast and farewells, a Zodiac tender takes you ashore at Havelock where a transfer to a central Blenheim drop off point or the airport waits. In case of unexpected delays we ask
you not to book any onward travel from Blenheim until after midday today.