3 Days in Picton New Zealand
Kayak tour in Picton, New Zealand
Hiking, Kayaking, Relaxing in Picton, NZ
After a couple of adventurous days at Lake Tekapo and Aoraki / Mt. Cook National Park, and a road trip from Twizel to Greymouth, we set the GSP for Nelson and Picton on the north tip of the South Island in New Zealand.
Although we stayed one night in Nelson, we did not explore this area, and this entry will mainly be about three days spent in Picton.
Our route from Greymouth via Nelson and the Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton
Greymouth to Nelson
We woke early at the Duke Hostel in Greymouth on a rainy and dreary morning and grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonald’s as it appeared to be our only option this early morning.
The drive from Greymouth to Nelson is approximately 4 hours and takes you inland through farmland. The rain persisted, but we imagined how much worse it probably was in the south by Milford Sound, which we, unfortunately, had to skip due to flooding.
A woman herding sheep spotted on our drive from Greymouth to Nelson on the South Island of New Zealand
The Palace Backpackers, Nelson
The Palace Backpackers hostel was a maze of pathways and rooms spread throughout the property. We had booked a private room for $47.00 for one night.
The atmosphere was relaxed. We decided to catch up on laundry and work on our laptops in the common area. Dinner was home-cooked in the hostel kitchen. We could have stayed here longer, and we can certainly recommend the Palace Backpackers.
An elderly man on his ATV with his sheep dog on the South Island in New Zealand
Nelson to Picton, the Queen Charlotte Drive
The sun peeked out from time to time on the beautiful drive from Nelson to Picton via the Queen Charlotte Drive.
We arrived early at the Picton House B&B, and when we asked if there was a bathroom we could use, the owner said no! We could not check in until later, which was okay, but the first encounter made us a bit apprehensive about our choice of accommodation.
The worry was, however, completely unfounded. Later, our host came across as friendly and hospitable, and the room was indeed stellar. I am sure we just caught her off guard on a busy switch-over day.
Picton Memorial Park and the beautiful harbor front
We did a quick exploratory walk of the core of Picton and scouted interesting places to dine. We eventually checked into a nice, bright room.
The weather was still a bit dismal, so we stayed in our room and set up our workstations to blog and plan our travel further.
Di downloaded a couple of audiobooks for our car rides and a Nora Roberts book that she finished within a couple of days. We had come to Picton to relax.
We had a wonderful lunch at Le Café: Seafood Soup for Di, Bacon and Brie Sandwich, and a pint of Carlsberg for Morten.
Di on the hike to the Queen Charlotte Viewpoint in Picton, New Zealand
Day 2, Picton
The rain was much needed in the region, but it dampened our spirits. Breakfast at Picton House B&B was okay: cereals, toast, juice, and coffee. We spent the morning in our room reading and working on the blog.
We did not have access to kitchen facilities in the B&B and set out to find lunch. We spotted some delicious-looking meat pies at the bakehouse. Two lunches and coffees were $13.50. It was a very friendly local spot where we chatted with the regulars.
Hiking by Titoki and Karaka Bay in Picton, New Zealand
Queen Charlotte Lookout Hike
Before our hike, we drove to Waikawa Bay and quickly looked around. We decided a hike to the Queen Charlotte Lookout was the perfect fit for us.
From a distance, the bays look similar to parts of British Columbia, but we were surprised by how lush the trees were along the trails. We walked through tunnels of trees, and the cicadas were almost deafening.
The Queen Charlotte View lookout near Picton, New Zealand
Day 3, Picton
Finally, as we woke up for day 3 in Picton, there was sunshine and pleasant temperatures. Mik and Courtney had given us a Kayak tour for Christmas, and we decided to take advantage of this in Picton.
Our guide, a 25-year-old from Scotland, was super friendly and a pleasure to hang out with. We were also joined by a French couple who had been traveling for six months. We booked a half-day trip.
Our kayak guide with Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company in Picton, New Zealand
After quick instructions, we were on the water. We had trouble steering until we discovered our rudder was not in the water—a rookie mistake.
We started along the shoreline and crossed over to a small island before rounding the peninsula of the Kaipupu Wildlife Sanctuary and heading towards Shakespeare Bay.
Look. Over there! Kayak tour in Picton, New Zealand.
We spotted a few eagle-tailed rays and broke for coffee along the shoreline. Then onto Shakespeare Bay, where we had lunch and rested for a while. We picked the slow route along the bay, and I still recall the moment when Di spotted a small shark right by our kayak :)
We wrapped up our days in Picton with a traditional fish and chips dinner on a sunny evening in Picton Memorial Park with beer and apple-rhubarb cider—a fitting way to wrap things up in this quaint little town.
Read the following post from our South Island road trip:
Fish and chips dinner in Picton Memorial Park
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos.
