Picton, NZ

What are your recommendations for Picton, New Zealand, without doing a cruise line shore excursion?

I would post this question on the Australia and New Zealand Port Of Call Board to get solid input.

This link will take you to that board.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=77

Keith

The main reason ships visit Picton is for the sail in/out of the Marlborough Sounds.

Very picturesque , so make sure you get a good viewing position.

Picton itself is a very pleasant little town to wander around in. It is the ferry port and terminal for the InterIsland Ferries , so has a lot of tourists passing through it, which makes for some very nice souvenier and gallery shopping.

The calls there are usually only for a few hours, so if you wanted to venture further afield, you would probably have to take a ships tour. We have called there twice, and just enjoyed wandering around. Sometimes the locals set up a craft market on the esplanade.

A shuttle is usually put on from the ship to the main street, but you can also walk it easily in about 10 minutes, and enjoy the sights along the way.

We arrived in Picton by Ferry, as part of our tour of New Zealand. Agree with Kiwi Kruzer, Picton is a very picturesque ferry port and we enjoyed the pretty harbour and just strolling and buying a couple of Kiwi souvenirs.