Day Excursions

Escape Day Trips (return from Wellington)

Gourmet Wine Experience

Available 1 October 2011 to 30 April 2012

The Gourmet Wine Experience is personalised in such a way that it is truly the ultimate experience for anyone who takes their fun with food and wine at all seriously. At day's end you will have an enhanced understanding that will heighten every wining dining experience from here on, and of course, memories that will endure for a lifetime.

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Half Day Marlborough Wine Trail

Available all year round.

Invest half a day with four of Marlborough’s most popular vineyards, after using your free time to enjoy Picton’s waterfront cafés, craft shops and museums. This option is ideal for individuals wanting to join a small personalised tour, and offers flexibility in the choice of which of Marlborough’s charms to visit.

Package price includes return travel with Interislander and an escorted wine tour with Sounds Connection. The cost of lunch is not included.

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Group Marlborough Wine Experience

Available all year round.

Travelling with a group of 8 people or more? This package allows you to customise your wine trail in consultation with Sounds Connection tour operators – the perfect solution to a group getaway.

You will be picked up directly from the terminal and chaperoned around Marlborough’s finest wineries by your own Sounds Connection guide who will look after your group and be on hand to provide gems of local knowledge.

Package includes a winery stop for lunch (at own cost). To customise your itinerary, call Sounds Connection on 03 573 8843 once you have booked here. If you decide not to call, Sounds Connection will tailor an itinerary for you.

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The Sounds Delivery Cruise

Available all year round.

Become personally acquainted with the beauty and wildlife of Queen Charlotte Sound on a leisurely three-hour cruise. You’ll explore the secluded bays and coves, pausing to glimpse the homes, hideaways and lodges that are nestled around the edges of the sound. You also have the chance to see dolphins as they swim alongside the boat.

The price includes return travel on Interislander and a three-hour cruise with The Cougar Line. Lunch is not included.

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Art & Nature Discovery Walk

Available for bookings from 8 September 2011 to 4 June 2012.


Explore the secrets of the Marlborough Sounds. Take a short cruise, experience the Queen Charlotte Track with an optional 2 hour walk, then learn about the region's unique environment and New Zealand art at Lochmara Wildlife Recovery and Arts Centre. Take a bush walk, encounter native birds and geckos, breeding programmes and art galleries, or simply relax and enjoy the view from a hammock or the beach.

The package price includes return travel with Interislander, a 2 hour optional walk on the Queen Charlotte Track, return water transfers and entry fee to Lochmara Lodge Wildlife Recovery and Arts Centre. Lunch is not included.

You can bring your own mountain bike and do a 2-hour cycle of the Queen Charlotte Track. Simply click on ‘Extras’ when making your Interislander booking and add a bike – cost $15 each way.

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Half Day Marlborough Sea Kayaking Trip

Available 1 September 2011 to 31 March 2012

Sea kayaking is a great way to get out on the water and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of a particulary beautiful area of Queen Charlotte Sound. The Grove Arm of Queen Charlotte Sound is renowned for its bushclad shorelines, golden beaches and deep coves. Your guide enjoys sharing their knowledge of local flora and fauna, myths and legends as you paddle along. This is an ideal trip for a wide range of fitness levels and paddling experience from the novice paddler to the more experienced.

Minimum 2 adults, 18 years and over.

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