Frequently Asked Questions

Check in for all scheduled departures is 30 minutes prior to departure time.

We are located directly on the Picton Waterfront, the Corner of Wellington Street and London Quay.

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No, a paper print out is not required.

Unfortunately, we are not unable to accommodate motorized chairs, but we can accommodate manual chairs. Guests must be able to walk over the gap. We cannot roll a wheelchair on due to the loading area (steps, tide etc)

Yes there is a council pay and display car park on Wellington Street very close to our office.

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It is very unlikely that you will experience seasickness on our boats. The Queen Charlotte sounds are not very wide or deep, and they are in enclosed waters, so we don’t generally that rolling ocean swell that causes guests to suffer with seasickness.

Yes we can. Depending on the location, our Mail Boat delivers to different areas of the sounds each day of the week – get in touch with our team to find out what days schedule would work for you.

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You can see our current promotions on our website here

Our tours

Summer: Monday – Sunday 7:00am – 6:00pm

Winter: Monday – Sunday 8:00am – 4:00pm

Closed 25 December

We do suggest making a booking ahead of time, although we will try our best to accommodate last minute arrivals.

We have a large fleet of 8 custom-built vessels, from 12 seaters right up to 150 seaters.

Our Fleet

Yes we do, you can privately charter most of our vessels for either private transport or functions and events.

Yes we do, please email our reservations team directly with details of your group for our best rate.

• Cancellations made 48 hours prior to departure date are eligible for a refund minus a 10% fee
• Cancellations made within 48 hours can be re-booked for a different date, no refund is due
• We can hold your booking in credit for up to 12 months from your travel date if desired, after this no refund is due
• If you fail to show up for your departure, no refund and no credit is due
• Refunds are provided via the method the payment was originally made

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control we cannot guarantee our return time accuracy. If you have a connection, please advise our team upon check in.

We do not provide Wi-Fi in our office or on our vessels.

Our vessels are safe, regularly maintained and well-equipped, and our skippers are highly experienced and qualified, however we will cancel a sailing if we deem the weather to be too extreme to sail. We do still sail in wind and rain, luckily, we are quite sheltered in the Queen Charlotte Sounds, and it is extremely rare that we must cancel. Safety and guest comfort is a priority.

You can book directly through our website, or you can contact our reservations team directly by phone +64 3 573 6175 or email office@mailboat.co.nz

Absolutely, you can charter on demand private water transport if our scheduled times don’t work for you.

We offer an on-demand water taxi service to Kaipupu Point, this can be booked for the time of your choice within our operating hours.

Unfortunately, we do not have a suitable vehicle to pick up and drop off guests, however our team is more than happy to book a taxi for you.

Interislander Ferry:‍

We are an approximately 10-minute walk from the Interislander ferry terminal, walk out of the terminal and past the rental car offices and I-Site and you will see a red paved pathway that leads right along the waterfront directly to our office. If you are driving, take the first left onto London Quay, then turn onto Wellington Street for the public car park.

Bluebridge Ferry:

Take the free shuttle bus from the Bluebridge terminal and get off at the Oxley’s Hotel, this is on the Corner of Wellington Street and London Quay and you will see our office right in front of this area. If you are driving take the left at the first roundabout, then straight until Wellington Street where you will turn left towards the waterfront and into the car park.

Train:‍

We are approximately a 10-minute walk from the Train Station, walk straight onto London Quay then down the street past the war memorial until you reach the ramp that leads down onto the waterfront area where our office is located.

We have our Beachcomber Cruises branded keep cups available for sale at $6 each, there is then complementary tea and coffee available for you to enjoy during the tour.

You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks on board any vessel.

The Queen Charlotte Track is 71km and takes anywhere from 3 to 6 days to complete depending on your accommodation choices and how far you wish to walk each day.

Yes you can, you can complete the track in any configuration that works for you – just ask!

There are no scheduled pick-ups from Ship Cove to return you to Anakiwa, you can however charter a private water taxi. We suggest that all walkers park there car in Picton and get boat transport each way.

If you are walking between Camp Bay and Anakiwa you will need to purchase a QCTLC pass qctlc.com

Yes we can, we offer seasonal packages for walk and accommodations or can book individual nights for you upon request.

Absolutely not! Our Great Track and Pack Pass ticket includes complimentary luggage transfers to your overnight accommodation, or this can be purchased at an additional cost for one way tickets.

We can transport your overnight bags direct to most accommodation points and campsites on the track: excluding, DOC Schoolhouse Bay Campsite, DOC Bay of Many Coves Campsite, DOC Blackrock campsite, DOC Davies bag campsite.

Yes we can take your bike, E bike or sea kayak on our transport options to the Queen Charlotte Track. An additional fee does apply for this.

Yes there are minimum numbers required for the tour to operate, we will let you know 24 hours in advance if these requirements have not been met and provide alternatives.

You are welcome to store your luggage in our office for the day whilst you are cruising with us.

We recommend that all cruisers bring something to eat and drink, comfortable shoes, warm clothing in case of weather change, sunscreen, sun hat and sunglasses, camera.

Whilst we are marine mammal watch approved, we do not guarantee that you will see Dolphins or any other wildlife on your cruise. We do keep a lookout though!