Picton is a great little town to walk around.
There are cute shops, little restaurants….
…and several places one could sit to reflect and enjoy the day or catch up on wifi provided by the visitor’s center.
This individual was selling rides on his stretch limo cycle.
Our ship provided a shuttle that dropped us off at the visitors’ center. The depot for the Marlborough Flyer Steam Train is directly across the street. I had purchased my tickets online months in advance and printed off my voucher. As soon as we got to town, we went to the depot to exchange our shuttle for tickets – actually a wristband. (People who booked through the ship were on the same train.) The seats are first come/first served, so getting to the station to line up and board a little early was important.
Riding the train is every little boy’s dream, and hubby was quite happy with the experience as we chugged past some beautiful New Zealand scenery.
Many who rode later shuttles from the ship were disappointed to discover that the ticket only promises a ride – not a seat. Several folks had to stand on platforms between the rail cars.
Depart Picton 10:00 Arrive Blenheim 10:50. The length of the ride on wooden train seats was about right for me.
We walked around the small town of Blenheim. Very little was open on Sunday, but we found Savour, a nice restaurant, and had a wonderful lunch before our departure back to Picton.
Depart Blenheim 1:30 Arrive Picton 3:00.
It takes longer to go back to Picton because the train is going down hill, and they have to control the descent, especially as they are coming into town.
We had a little time to look through the shops in Picton before going back to the ship. What a wonderful, relaxed-paced day.
Next port: Wellington, New Zealand