Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary and Ship Cove Cruise from Picton

Name: Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary and Ship Cove Cruise from Picton
Price: 110 NZD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.06 (36 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

English

4 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Cruise from Picton Harbour to Motuara Island and beyond to see rare native birds and other wildlife on this 4.5-hour boat excursion. Spend time exploring Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary and Ship Cove, learn from your expert captain about wildlife and cultural history, and take in the gorgeous scenery of Queen Charlotte Sound. Look for endangered native birds including the South Island saddleback, king shag, little blue penguin and kiwi as well as seals and rare dolphins.

Please note that this tour departs sharply on schedule at 8:00am

Available to purchase for $6 in the office before you depart are Beachcomber Cruises keep cups, we no longer use single use cups on board our vessels due the huge environmental impact. Upon purchase of a Beachcomber Cruises keep cup guests can enjoy tea and coffee onboard for the duration of the tour.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks to consume on board

Closed-toe walking shoes suitable for walking are recommended

We are not able to pick up / drop off at the Cruise Ship Terminal - you must make your way to our booking office

Please note that this tour departs sharply on schedule at 8:00am

Not recommended for travelers with mobility constraints

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Queen Charlotte Sound

Cruise through the tranquil waterways of the Queen Charlotte Sound, see wildlife and native flora and fauna along the way

Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Commentary on board

Restroom on board

Food

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Beachcomber Cruises keep cups for $6 in the office before you depart

Options

8:00am Departure

Reviews

4.06

36 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Great day in the Queen Charlotte Sound
S9161JYklausd,,Jan 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We did the Motuara Island, Ship Cove and then Walking from Furneaux Lodge to Punga Cove! Sailing from Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge we had an outstanding Hector Dolphin encounter thanks to our Captain! The staff is really good in taking care of the customers. Kind advice and help to chose the tour. Very professional and we felt safe all the time. Each question was welcomed. At the end our Captain took some time to collect the last Visitors friendly from the Cafe and Restaurant at Punga cove, and sailed us back to Picton. Really price worthy! A good return on investment. In a familiar and cordial atmosphere
The island is a bird...
Leeane V,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
The island is a bird sanctuary but that doesn't mean you will see birds , this is ok for us who are from NZ but may be disappointing for tourists. A nice jaunt around the sounds, great being able to spend time at Ships cove.
Visitors to Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary
227einarh,,Dec 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
My wife and I had looked forward to this trip, but we were probably disappointed. The boat trip took 4.5 hours in total, but only 1.5 hours were set aside to visit this basically fantastic bird island. The tour was without a guide, which we knew in advance. Three others took part in the trip with us. They were more concerned with talking loudly than studying bird life. Thus, many of the birds were scared away, and we did not get a big look at the particular species. All in all, this became one of the worst things we've ever been involved in. Not recommended!
Beautiful scenery,...
Banu T,,Mar 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Beautiful scenery, interesting stops to explore and learn about the history of the region and a well organized boat
Fantastic and very special day out !!!!
Maike R,,Jan 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We absolutely loved our day on the water and the visit to the island. However, it would have been easy for us to spend an additional hour on the island, just to enjoy the surroundings a wee bit longer. The lookout was an absolute highlight. Thank you for making this possible :)
Wonderful morning adventure
Gloria P,,Jan 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
The friendliness of the little Robins and seeing the Saddlebacks up so close, was a wonderful experience.
Disappointing trip
Cdawd,,Dec 2, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
We did the Motoura Island stop before going onto the Ships Cove to Furneaux Lodge walk. We'd thought it would be one of the highlights of our trip but it was disappointing. Complimentary coffee on board is advertised but there was none during the 1 hr trip to Motoura Island on the motorboat. We couldn't hear the explanation too well because of the noise of the boat. We had thought there would be more commentary - the people on the mailboat cruise (they picked us up) seemed to have had better commentary. The return boat had issues so we had to wait for a replacement to come, which is fine, but instead of keeping us waiting at the Lodge, where we had warmth and drinks, we were told to get to the boat around 3:45. It was a miserable day but we had to wait on the boat for close to 45 minutes. Poor service. I'd say this is more like a water taxi and less of a cruise.
A Magic Island
A321BIRD,,Mar 11, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
An amazing island with just the right amount of time to ascend to the summit and the incredible panoramic views. Excellent views of the unique bird species found on the island. I was disappointed with the very short time we had by the Cook Memorial - the excuse that “we’re running late” by the boat skipper isn’t, I feel, good enough! Consequently it was a very rushed visit for everyone on that particular sailing.
Great day on Marlborough Sound.
Julie from MI,,Feb 16, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
The boat ride was beautiful. On the island, I felt rushed to climb to the viewpoint and get back down on time. We enjoy seeing birds but are not experienced birders. We could hear more than we could see.
Lovely Island, great boat trip
Cecilia D,,Feb 16, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Amazing views from the top of the island. The Marlborough sounds are really beautiful. By doing the boat trip you get to see things you can’t get to by road.