What a wonderful way to experience this stunning area. I loved seeing how locals enjoy meeting the boat as it pulls up to their jetty’s to deliver their supplies. The crew were very informative of the local mussel industry etc as well as wild life in the area. The opportunity to stop off at Te Rawa Restaurant and enjoy a delicious lunch was a bonus as was sampling some of Marlborough’s finest wines while on board the mail boat. You can comfortably walk around the boat, go upstairs or out the front or back to get great views and photo opportunities. What a great day out on the water.

Had a great day out on the mailboat. Interesting, very welcoming and friendly. Very good informative staff. Two lovely cafes open for brekkie or coffee and to buy lunch in Havelock before the boat trip. The best public toilets in Havelock too! Tip: take enough clothing as it's best sitting outside but gets quite cold. Did the farm tour at lunchtime, very enjoyable. Very reasonable too. Highly recommend

Beautiful day cruising around the sounds, boat clean and roomy, nice cheap local wines/beer on board, lovely friendly farm experience host... Spectacular dolphin encounter, seals at mussel farm. Very enjoyable day out with great skipper Ross and crew!

My husband and I had a fabulous time on the mail boat tour. It was a nice day and we were able to set up top on the boat and really enjoyed the scenery. (The day prior, we did an Eko WlidlifeTour out of Picton and we were inside the boat and when the driver would see a seal or birds, then we would go out to the front of the boat. But that boat was not compatible with seeing views from the outside). So we enjoyed this Mail boat tour so much more. There’s commentary and it was fun to see where people live and watch the interaction (chin wag) with the mail lady and the driver. They provide tea and coffee and there’s two toilets on the boat. Would highly recommend.

Outer Sounds Mail Boat run on a beautiful day - couldn't have been better. Journey was very information with Ross, the skipper, giving a running commentary as we visited each island. The speaker system on top deck could have been clearer especially when engines were running fast. Otherwise the trip was faultless, the boat spotlessly clean & service 1st class. Take your swimmers if on a warm day - beautiful swimming spot at lunch break. Also a jacket & 'tie-down' sunhat.

Fantastic day out! Took my 90yr old mum and we had the best time. We loved seeing the dogs coming down to meet the mailboat to get their biscuits. Beautiful scenery and excellent friendly staff from start to finish. Thanks for a lovely day. 😃

A great day out (Feb 8th 2025). We saw stunningly beautiful places and aspects of NZ life that we would otherwise never have experienced, not to mention the wildlife encounters along the way - having a pod of about 100 dolphins swimming and leaping around the boat was magical. The visit to Wilsons Bay Farm was fascinating. Highly recommended.

Jade was an incredible guide and this was the highlight of our Marlborough trip. We had some rain the night before so the water level was elevated and the current was faster and the bumps slightly bigger. Having no experience we were worried these factors would mean we were 100% going overboard but Jade’s clear instructions, calm energy and expert manoeuvres ensured we were screaming in fun, not in terror. If you’re hesitating because you don’t know how to swim, scared of the water or think you don’t have the right experience…if we can do it, you probably can too!! It’s SO worth it!

We had a great paddle down the beautiful Pelorus river. You alternate between smooth stretches where you can just sit back and enjoy the view, and more active stretches where you go over small rapids (you are definitely going to get splashed so dress appropriately). Our guide Jade was awesome, giving us directives on how to navigate the rapids, sharing interesting information about the history and the nature in the area, taking pictures of us while we were busy navigating the rapids and making sure everyone made it through safely (helping us dominate the flow). It is more of a kayaking experience than a tour of the Hobbit filming location. We did stop at the filming location where our guide pointed out where different shots were filmed from. But as fans of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, this was definitely the best way to visit the river used for the barrel escape of the dwarves in the Hobbit.

There were a few details about my experience that were not as advertised. Firstly, sunscreen and bug spray were NOT provided, which is in direct opposition to what the website said -and how I planned my day. The biting flies were intense - WEAR PANTS AND A LONG SLEEVE SHIRT. I thought that we were going on a 4 hour excursion (as the site implies) but we were back before 5pm, spending less than 2 hours on the water. I specifically booked this tour because it was 4 hours long, and even if you count safety briefing and travel time it was still less than three, less than two on the water. The big highlight of this paddle is that you are crossing through some of the scenery that was filmed in the Hobbit, which was pointed out to us. However, the laminated photos that we were provided for context for these shots were in such low image quality that it was actually very hard to see what we were being shown. It looked like someone had texted an old JPEG and then photocopied it seven times, it was mostly just pixels. I was surprised, considering that that is the highlight of this tour, that the quality of the images was so low. I do want to shout out to my host, as she was incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating, and a wellspring of knowledge about the local area and wildlife. She did make us all feel quite safe and relaxed. I would say, however, that she was the only saving grace of the whole tour. I wouldn't recommend this tour otherwise.

Can’t tell you how much fun we had with Jade at this adventure. She was very helpful and entertaining. The best parts of the tour can only experienced by doing it. Jade is strongly recommended and this adventure is a must do tour if loved the hobbit movies. No experience in water rafting is required. Make sure you wear water socks and beach shorts/beach wear. Bug repellent is a must!!! To have fun in this adventure all you will need is Jade and a good day! Thanks Jade!!!!

Amazing experience and Jade was the best guide, really encouraging and knowledgeable. Definitely recommend them!

Great day out for a novice like myself. Jade is a fab instructor - just lets you get on with it and learn by doing.

Holy Holy had the best adventure tour with Shane and Khan out on thier 22meter tuna fishing boat. They went out and beyond to thier ability to make it a trip of a life time. Covered all the species, fishing, deer hunting pig hunting and cray fish for breakfast. These two are the true southern experience with the sourthern rawness that make you know your experiencing the real thing. The beauty is they can organise accomadation at the blue mountain lodge and throw in mountain biking too. Thanks Shane and Khan for making this an experience never to be forgotten.

I ventured in a Mussel Cruise Tuesday just gone absolutely loved it and definitely have plans to do it again with my mother I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy the beautiful Pelorus and Kenepuru Sounds even a complimentary glass of wine and fresh steamed mussels yummy scenic and relaxing with a knowledgeable crew thanks Bruce and John will join you boys again soon oh and cannot forget the fabulous Jacqui @ Marlborough Tour Company either 😁 10/10

Interesting commentary. Beautiful freshly caught mussels served generously with a delicious white wine.

Fantastic afternoon cruising the Marlborough Sounds with a glass of wine and as many freshly steamed mussels as we could eat!

We had a most amazing experience on this cruise. The friendly crew made it unforgettable. Penny the skilled skipper, Nicolle for preparing those yummy mussels and looking after the drinks ( and even swimming with me!) and to Chris for being so informative and friendly. Thank you again xx

2nd time for me doing the Mussel Cruise, but the first time for my wife and even the first time in the South Island for her. Penny and Nicole were fabulous. Love the all girl crew and Nicole even got my wife to try a Mussel!! Great local knowledge from Penny. We would definitely be keen on the all day mail cruise when we come back.

Best cruise experience ever! Loved mussels for long time but never have tried them so fresh and natural. Highly recommended as ‘must do’ to experience the Marlborough sounds at their finest

Had the most amazing picture perfect day on Pelorus Sound. Penny and the crew were special hosts and offered both helpful and interesting commentary and, the most amazing mussels paired with the best Sauvignon Blanc! Highly recommended!

Stunning place with beautiful bird song. They hosted a rat traps building event for our homeschooling children which was extremely well run.

Good place to stop & stretch your legs between Blenheim & Nelson. A few options for bush walks, listening & looking for the bird life.

Beautiful spot to take a swim, relax, watch birds. Across the street is a nice little campground with a food truck that serves coffee and pastries. Kahawari campsite has super clean facilities and even a pizza oven by the main campground facilities. Take the Tawa trail to see two nice and hidden waterfalls. Return trip from and to campsite is 2hrs. Also good for trail runners.

Great overnight stay. As we have remembered it from previous stays. Showers are awesome. Great indigenous display area. Worth spending time there. Good coffee. Too early to sample food but will be back

Beautiful sight, nice opportunity to have a refreshing swim❣️❣️

Great place to just stop and enjoy the environment. Good for a summer swim as well

We recently hiked the Trig K lookout route after a rainfall. The return trip took us about 4 hours. The trail was not well-defined in some areas, making for a challenging but rewarding hike. The panoramic views from the summit were absolutely breathtaking. While we did spot two waterfalls on the way, they weren't particularly noteworthy compared to the stunning scenery we've seen in places like Wanaka.

Dean took us on an amazing 4.5 hour trip. Included a visit to a mussel farm and a number of mussels to eat. Trip also included a drop off at a bay enabling us to walk a 45 minute track to Jacob's Bay. Dean's knowledge that he shared made the trip very enjoyable. He is a friendly easy going host. Thanks Deano

Great service roomy comfy boat

A must do when you are in Havelock

Fantastic crew, lovely boat, perfect.

It's free to enter and it's and calm and quiet place with vedio playing about the heritage version. It's a place to visit to understand better things. The outer environment also lovely. I LOVE the princess sitting at the entrance.

Good location. Small museum but very helpful to make to understand the history of the places.

Small but cute :) You can pay what you want to visit.

Enter by donation, bring a coin or two. Super well kept and modern with notable history of the area. Was super surprised by the quality of the museum

Some cool old stuff and a bit of history - worth stopping for 10 minutes if you're not in a hurry

Small collection, not really a museum but well presented.

Nice little make a donation museum showing the history of the town and the pioneering families

This boat is in Paihi, not Havelock. Gross, dirty, stained bedding. 1 bathroom that had owners dirty towels on the floor when we arrived. Food was passable but not quantity for all the males in our group. Dishes always left to husband to take care of. Wife constantly belittled partner and frequently used f word to him, disgusting, unprofessional behaviour. Fish stations were never cleaned down. Could not recommend this boat for anything except big clean-up. Certificates /warrants etc had expired.

Awesome cruise, relaxing, wonderful crew, well worth doing, best holiday

Amazing trip great boat great crew

Bad service, good excuse

Delightful and impressive gallery with 25 local artists and a wide variety of pieces including sculptures, jewelry, prints, paintings on canvas and board. A great place to pickup a piece for your living room or a small souvenir from the beautiful Marlborough Sounds area.

Fabulous little gem in a quaint South Island kiwi village. Was surprised & delighted at the amazing selection available. There must be some magic in water of the sounds to have so many incredibly talented artists in one region. Highly recommend you stop into The Gallery Havelock if you’re in the area.

Gorgeous gallery, lovely welcoming attendant (owner?) who was more than happy to give extra information on a particular artist. At the time we visited we fell in love with the stunning paintings by Rebekah Codlin, especially her Ethiopian series. Also beautiful felt artist whose name escapes me but I will definitely go back for a piece that I was coveting. Fingers crossed it's still there! Also beautiful sculptures and carved jewellery. This gallery is like a wonderful Tardis inside. Well worth breaking your journey for or in fact making a special trip for!

a great local gallery! lots of talent in the area apparently. diverse and beautiful works of art that gives a peak into the local ways of thinking, seeing and feeling. worth a visit if you are anywhere close. by the way if you see any hikers around buy them some fish&chips they have nasty mountains waiting ahead.

Probably one of the best displays I've seen in a 'small town' gallery. Broad selection of very classy art and crafts. Well worth a visit.

Such a lovely little gallery. We were blown away by Rick's and Troy's works - would've snapped them up if we had the space in our camper!!

Lovely art gallery. I visited a few weeks ago and especially liked the work of Bonnie Road and Rebekah Codlin. The gallery is run by volunteers and money raised from commission from sales of art goes directly into the community. Last year 30,000NZD was donated to the fire service and salary for an art teacher at the local school. Havelock has a great coffee shop opposite.

Dean took us on an amazing 4.5 hour trip. Included a visit to a mussel farm and a number of mussels to eat. Trip also included a drop off at a bay enabling us to walk a 45 minute track to Jacob's Bay. Dean's knowledge that he shared made the trip very enjoyable. He is a friendly easy going host. Thanks Deano

Great service roomy comfy boat

A must do when you are in Havelock

Fantastic crew, lovely boat, perfect.