Has anyone been to Marlborough Farm & Garden in Picton, NZ?

[petlover]

One of the excursions offered in Picton, NZ is Marlborough Farm & Garden where you see a sheep farm with the sheep herding dogs. Has anyone done this? Good/Bad? Are there better options in Picton?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

One of the excursions offered in Picton, NZ is Marlborough Farm & Garden where you see a sheep farm with the sheep herding dogs. Has anyone done this? Good/Bad? Are there better options in Picton?

 

 

Hi Marcie,

Lucky you going to Picton.

 

Not many cruise ships call there,but it is a really beautiful part of New Zealand.Dont miss either the sail in/out , as you will cruise up a long Sound,and Picton is at the head of it.

Picton is the terminal for the roll on/roll off ferries that link our North and South Islands and so at the wharf there will be lots of rail wagons and cars lined up for the many crossings they do each day.It has one main street and a delightful harbour walk,so a tour inland would be well worth considering,as it will give an insight into rural NZ,plus all the scenery along the way.

Marlborough,just over the hills, is one our top wine producing disticts and is full of wineries and cafes.

Hope this little bit of background helps.

David

[Globaliser]

Marlborough,just over the hills, is one our top wine producing disticts and is full of wineries and cafes.

And it's only about half an hour's drive away from Picton. Because Picton's a ferry terminal, it should be quite easy to rent a car there, although I don't know whether cruise ships dock right at the ferry terminal area.

[petlover]

Thank you for your responses. Would you recommend a visit to watch the sheep herding? Over the summer we went on a "wine cruise" in the Bordeaux region of France. Great as it was, we saw enough wineries to last us a lifetime so I'm not interested in visiting any wineries or vineyards.

[Globaliser]

Would you recommend a visit to watch the sheep herding?

A difficult question to answer. It depends on whether you think you'd be interested in seeing this in action. I saw enough of it on TV when I was a kid (and seeing as we didn't have a TV at home, that's saying something). Once you've seen once what a dog can do with a bunch of sheep, the excitement somewhat pales. Personally, I'd be looking for other things to do. But I don't want to sound unduly pessimistic about it: If you've never seen the skill of a trained sheepdog working as a team with a farmer, and you think you might be interested, then it's definitely a possibility.

[jresmith]

Hi. I have a question for Kiwi Cruiser. My husband & I are planning our "Trip of a Lifetime" to New Zealand in April, 2006. We will be cruising on the Diamond Princess around New Zealand and Australia, and then up thru the South Pacific, around the Hawaiian Islands, and into San Francisco. We are planning to arrive in New Zealand 10 days before the cruise, rent a campervan, and see New Zealand. I've tried to find information on camp grounds, but haven't had much luck, other than the Holiday Parks. Are there other campgrounds available? I've heard the South Island has more to see and do than the North Island. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

Thanks, Jennifer

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Hi. I have a question for Kiwi Cruiser. My husband & I are planning our "Trip of a Lifetime" to New Zealand in April, 2006. We will be cruising on the Diamond Princess around New Zealand and Australia, and then up thru the South Pacific, around the Hawaiian Islands, and into San Francisco. We are planning to arrive in New Zealand 10 days before the cruise, rent a campervan, and see New Zealand. I've tried to find information on camp grounds, but haven't had much luck, other than the Holiday Parks. Are there other campgrounds available? I've heard the South Island has more to see and do than the North Island. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

Thanks, Jennifer

 

Hi Jennifer,

 

WOW what a wonderful trip.......

 

There are plenty of campgrounds and motels available that cater to the many tourists that come here......

You have a lot of time to do research.

Both of our Islands have a lot to offer......

One thing I would suggest......

look into the cost of shipping your campervan from the North to the South Island.

 

David

[Globaliser]

We are planning to arrive in New Zealand 10 days before the cruise, rent a campervan, and see New Zealand. I've tried to find information on camp grounds, but haven't had much luck, other than the Holiday Parks. Are there other campgrounds available? I've heard the South Island has more to see and do than the North Island. Any suggestions would be really appreciated!

I'd agree about starting with the South Island. There's heaps to see and do on the North Island, too, but with only 10 days I wouldn't recommend trying to do bits of both and I agree that the South Island (aka "the mainland" to my Christchurch friends) probably has a little more to offer the visitor.

 

Don't worry about campsites for your campervan - as Kiwi Kruzer says, there are plenty, especially in all the often-visited places. The only thing to check is whether your trip coincides with peak local holiday season (ie school holidays) in NZ, because those places can get busy and booked up. But if you're not in peak season, then you should be able to be fairly flexible with where you go and when.

 

Domestic airfares within NZ are now pretty cheap, so (assuming that your cruise starts in Auckland) I would personally recommend flying between Christchurch and Auckland as necessary if you are going to concentrate on the South Island - you may be able to fly straight in to Christchurch, depending on where your routing and chosen airline. Keep an eye on the baggage allowances, and on the fact that you will sometimes get generosity if not a formal increase in baggage allowance if you're flying domestically in conjunction with an international itinerary.

 

Any good guidebook will tell you all the places that are commonly visited and worth seeing. But if you want a list of suggestions, just ask.

[jresmith]

Thanks for all the info. I've ordered three books on New Zealand. As my husband says, I tend to research things to death! I'm sure as we get more into our planning of this trip, we will have lots of questions, so I'll be back!

Thanks again, Jennifer