The Magic Mailboat

A client waits for his mail. 

Our last day in Picton, we were treated to a trip on "the magic mailboat"  cruise on the Queen Charlotte Sound.  Mail is delivered by boat to folks who live on the water and have no access to roads.  Deliveries are made a couple of times each week and may include groceries and/or other supplies.  This Endeavor Company cruise lasts about 4 1/2 hours and gives the passengers a wonderful view of much of the sound.  The scenery is spectacular, and the narration by the skipper is interesting and humorous.  Highly recommended.

A four-legged mail carrier often greets the boat and is always rewarded with a pat and a biscuit compliments of the skipper.  Most of the houses on the sound are "holiday homes," but about 30 percent belong to full-time residents.  There are a couple of well-known authors among them as well as those who simply value their privacy and  the seclusion. 

A dozen salmon farms on the sound are owned by The NZ King Salmon company.  These raise our favorite salmon meal ranging is size from 1 kilo to 6 kilos.  (k=2 1/2 pounds)  Depending on demand, up to 30,000 fish can be harvested in one day.  There are always workers on the farms 24/7 so fishermen wouldn't stand a chance, and seals are fenced out.  Needless to say, either potential salmon poacher could wreak havoc on the crop.

"Skipper Matt" who doubles as the mailman is an expert at manuvering his craft single-footedly.  In addition, a dolphin researcher on board , a young lady from NY,  has just completed her Master's degree in marine biology in Miami, Fl.  She reported experiencing a bit of culture shock on leaving the big city and coming to Picton, NZ a town of 4000.  She spends almost everyday on the mailboat looking for dolphin and taking notes.  What a drastic change from North Beach for a twenty-something.  No matter how gorgous the scenery, there are not many young people in town except for the back-packers passing through.

As an example of the social life, here's the Picton Yacht Club in the background and kayakers on their way out of the harbor for a late afternoon adventure.  By 6:00 p.m., the weather has turned very cool and windy, a forecast for more fall weather. We spent our last dinner at the "Toot and Whistle" pub next door to the train station with our new friends, Gerry and Dorothy.  We discovered there is an on-going game night there every Tuesday.  In addition, there are sailing lessons for anyone with a ten dollar bill every Thursday afternoon at the Yacht Club.  For our next visit, that's plenty of social life for us.  Who needs North Beach?