1 Day Multi Adventure - Kayak & Hike

This one day multi-adventure is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and magic of the Queen
Charlotte Sound  in one day – by sea and land. This is a single direction adventure, starting from Picton you paddle to Mistletoe Bay, leave your kayak, and walk or ride from Mistletoe Bay to Anakiwa.  Riding/walking from Mistletoe Bay means that, once you have reached the track out of Mistletoe Bay, you are predominantly riding/walking downhill.  A much better way to travel!

The morning sea kayak trip paddles from the Picton harbour and into the Grove Arm.  After stopping for  morning tea, you cross the Sound to the head of Onahau Bay where your guide farewells you and you paddle on your own to Mistletoe Bay (at the head of Onahau Bay).  Drop your kayak at the jetty and join the Queen Charlotte Track for a 12.5 km hike .   

From Mistletoe Bay it is a steady climb to the top of the hill to join the Queen Charlotte Track. The track sidles around the eastern side of Onahau Bay and the views are stunning as you look back along Queen Charlotte Sound. The track then follows the Grove Arm foreshore through stunning native beech forest on a gradual decline to Anakiwa, where the water taxi picks you up an takes you back to Picton.

Please note that the afternoon walk is not guided and you are responsible for yourself for the rest of this trip.

Departure Time:        8.30am- please be at our office by 8.15am

Returns                      4.30pm

Available 1st October 30th April

What we provide:

• Guided sea kayak trip for the morning
• Water transfers from end of track
• Packed lunch
• Return transfer of kayak
• QCTLC Track Pass

We recommend you wear or bring:

• Sun protection
• T-shirts and shorts for warmer weather
• Polypropylene or wool clothing – not cotton (if paddling from May to October)
• Warm wool or fibrepile jersey or jacket – not cotton.
• Windproof jacket. We do have paddling jackets available which (while not waterproof) protect against the wind
• Camera/Phone – we have dry bags for your cameras
• Water/Drink bottle
• Shoes or sandals suitable for getting wet
• Change of underwear and shorts (in case get wet while kayaking)
• Day Pack to transfer gear for afternoon in
• If sturdy walking shoes

Client Cancellation and Refund Policy

1. If booking received outside 60 days of trip departure - deposit not required
2. Final payment required 60 days prior to trip departure
3. Bookings inside 60 days require final payment at time of booking
4. Cancellations received up to 24 hours prior to trip departure - receive full refund.
5. Cancellations received inside 24 hours prior to trip departure - no refund provided

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, many of our clients have never sea kayaked before but find it really easy to do.

Yes, you will be wearing a buoyancy aid and you will be travelling in a party with a guide, so the chances of you capsizing and falling out of your boat are minimal. Your guide will have provided you with a briefing on what to do if you do capsize.

We are  not sure about biking or walking on our own

If you are unsure about biking or walking on your own, then this may not be the best option for you.  However, this section of the track that you will be walking/biking on is achievable for most people to enjoy independently. It is one of the more popular sections due to the terrain being easier to walk/ride.

I haven't done much mountain biking before - is this option suitable for me?

This section of the track is the easiest to mountain bike (compared to the rest of the track) but is still a single track which means that it is narrow in parts, and does have steep drop-offs so caution is required at all times. The surface can be slippery if there has been rain, and there are some rocks and tree roots also.  If you haven't mountain biked before, then we would not recommend this option.

Your water taxi returns you to Picton around 4.30pm.  So there is time to catch the 6.00pm ferry to Wellington if required. 

I need to be fit to enjoy this trip?

We recommend that you are at least of average fitness to enjoy this trip. You may feel a little tired in your shoulders after a day’s paddling, but we do have stops along the way and the pace is gentle.

Our trips are flexible enough that we can change the itinerary to meet the weather conditions. Ideally we try to organise the day so that the wind is at your back as much as possible. However, as with any outdoors experience, there may be times when you are required to paddle in windy conditions. If this is the case, then we try to minimise the time that you will be paddling into the wind.