Picton was our port of call today. It’s very much a working port, and that’s obvious from the moment you arrive. One of the first things we noticed, even standing on our balcony, was the smell. A strong, rich aroma of freshly cut wood, mostly pine, hung in the air. It wasn’t unpleasant, just very distinctive. As we left the ship and made our way toward the coach, the scent grew stronger, drifting across the wharf from nearby timber operations. Picton doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t. It feels practical and industrious, a gateway rather than a destination, and it plays that role honestly.
We were up early at 6.00am and had breakfast straight away. Our excursion was booked for 8.00am, but the ship didn’t dock until 7.00am, so we wanted to be ready to disembark as soon as possible. The tour was with E-Ko Tours, a local operator specialising in small-group eco and wildlife experiences in the Marlborough Sounds. The focus for the morning was marine wildlife, particularly birds and dolphins, along with a visit to a lookout in Queen Charlotte Sound.
The temperature was a cool but pleasant 15 degrees, but a strong southerly wind was cutting through the sound. We were on a small boat with about ten other guests, and the conditions made for a very rough ride. The boat rose and slammed repeatedly as we crossed open water, and the 30 to 40 minute journey back later in the morning was especially punishing. By the time we returned, my back was very sore.
Despite the conditions, the wildlife more than made up for it. We were fortunate enough to see three species of dolphin during the tour. We spotted dusky dolphins, fast and energetic, slicing through the water in tight groups. We also saw common dolphins, slightly larger and just as quick, moving confidently alongside the boat. The real highlight, though, was seeing Hector’s dolphins, New Zealand’s smallest and rarest dolphin species. They’re compact, shy and incredibly special to encounter. All of them were difficult to photograph because they surfaced briefly and moved quickly, but several times they came close enough for us to see them clearly before disappearing again.
Birdlife was everywhere, particularly along the rocky shoreline and in the trees above. With Mardi’s help, and using my camera’s zoom, I managed to get some clear shots. The standout bird we saw was the King Shag, one of New Zealand’s rarest birds and found only in the Marlborough Sounds. The photos show a large, black-and-white shag perched on the rocks, identifiable by its size, colouring and the distinctive blue band on its leg, part of conservation tracking efforts. We also saw Australasian gannets, elegant and unmistakable with their long wings and pale colouring, along with fluttering shearwaters skimming low over the water. Red-billed gulls were common around the port and coastline, their sharp calls carrying across the wind.
Our guide was knowledgeable and clearly passionate about conservation, explaining how fragile this ecosystem is and how closely monitored many of these species are. It added depth to what we were seeing and reinforced how lucky we were to experience it.
We returned to Picton around midday, tired but very content.
Whilst in Picton we visited at arts and crafts fair. The usual knickknacks are on display from Jewellery to clothing to hand carved wooden utensils, picture frames, pottery and children’s toys. Sadly for some of the stall owners the wind had picked up and the number of gusts blew over a number of tables with merchandise filling onto the ground. Mardi joked that we should get out of there before we get hit in the head by flying picture frame which we did working our way back to the ship via the shuttle bus.
Before heading to the adults-only pool area, we grabbed a quick lunch at Gigi’s Pizzeria onboard. After that, we made our way to The Retreat, the adults-only pool deck. Adults-only here simply means no kids rather than anything more exotic. I had a swim and did a few gentle laps while Mardi settled in with a book. After the rough morning on the water, it was exactly what we needed.
Later in the afternoon we caught up with our trivia friends and joined a few sessions. The first was a “Before They Were Famous” photo quiz featuring celebrities as children in the 1980s. It was tough, and we scored well under 50 percent. Next came Categories, more commonly known as Scattergories. With around 150 people shouting out answers at once, the room quickly descended into chaos. We think we ended up with about 19 points, while the winning team scored 22.
We followed that with a Let’s get Quizzical Quiz, a general knowledge format with some tricky questions. One asked the year the printing press was invented. Everyone knows Gutenberg invented it, but fewer people know the year was 1440. We guessed 1445. Close, but not quite.
We then sat through some 80s movie quotes before staying on for the 8.00pm 1980s trivia, a 25-question quiz covering pop culture, movie posters and music. The music round was particularly challenging because you had to name the song, the artist and the year it was released. We did reasonably well, scoring 28 out of 35.
Dinner was at Crown Grill. Mardi started with a seafood bisque, I had prawns, and we shared a filet mignon for the main. It was relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable. By the time we finished it was close to 10.00pm, and after an early start, rough seas and a full day, we skipped any late-night activities and headed to bed.
Tomorrow is a sea day, and on Sunday we arrive in Tauranga, where we’re hoping to see some kiwi. The birds, not the locals.
