Wine, Food & Sounds - May 2024 - Flipbook - Page 3
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 peninsular scenery.
Day 3: Monday 13 May – Blenheim to Picton
Mid-morning we make our way to Picton with a stop or two
enroute and free time to explore the town. We’ll have a light
lunch before joining Heritage Explorer this afternoon at the
marina. The captain and expedition team will be waiting to
welcome you aboard Heritage Explorer and show you to your
cabin.
Dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals are frequently seen in the
waters surround the island and it was here that Pelorus Jack,
the endearing Risso’s Dolphin who famously stole the nation’s
heart, guided ships across the dangerous waters of Cook Strait
between 1888 and 1912.
You will have the opportunity to familiarise yourself on
board then join the captain on the bridge or fellow travellers
on deck as we set sail along Queen Charlotte Sound this
afternoon.
Day 7 & Day 8: Friday 17 & Saturday 18 May
– Pelorus Sound
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.
Day 4 & Day 5: Tuesday 14 & Wednesday 15 May –
Queen Charlotte Sound
First sighted in 1642 by Abel Janszoon Tasman while
seeking shelter for his ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen from
a storm near d’Urville Island, it was Captain James Cook
who would first set foot here aboard the Endeavour during
his five visits to Ship Cove, his New Zealand base between
1770 and 1777, in what he would call Queen Charlotte
Sound.
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. On the final night we will enjoy a farewell dinner.
We spend two full days exploring the waterways and islands
of scenic Queen Charlotte Sound with opportunities to
head ashore and walk a section of the Queen Charlotte
Walkway as well as search for birdlife on the predator free
islands. A visit to Tory Channel brings the whaling history
of the Perano Whalers to life. We also plan to visit Ship
Cove and learn of its history, exploring the region and
visiting Captain Cook’s memorial inaugurated in 1913.
Day 9: Sunday 19 May – Havelock – Nelson – Auckland
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 Dennise and our
driver will meet us and take us on a scenic transfer, across
the hills to Nelson. Dennise will have a couple of special
stops including a farewell lunch at The Boathouse before
dropping us at Nelson airport for our Air New Zealand
return flight home.
Another conservation success story, Blumine Island has
seen the translocation of several rare bird species including the once widespread Orangefronted Parakeet, now
New Zealand’s rarest parakeet, which were translocated to
the island between 2011 and 2012. Also thriving on the
Also thriving on the island are South Island Saddleback,
brought back from the brink of extinction last century from
just 36 birds rescued in 1964, descendants of these birds
were translocated to Blumine Island in 2009.
Day 6: Thursday 16 May – d’Urville Island Today
we sail through the iconic French Pass in the wake of
French Explorer Dumont d’Urville and then explore the
island named in his honour. The outermost island in the
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