There is plenty of wilderness in which to wander on the Conservation Estate and privately owned land in Marlborough.

The Queen Charlotte Walkway is set up for people who want to walk for three or four days – perhaps a little longer than some would expect on a short break. But you can plan to spend time on part of this – and less well known tracks - and associated accommodation readily reached by local water, land and even floatplane transport.

Consider the concessionaires authorized to operate on public sections of the Queen Charlotte Walkway, and make contact with them or services like them able to help you have a short or longer break in Marlborough’s water and bush wilderness. DOC concessionaires offer walking tours, hiking, cycling, backroad and high places access, sea kayaking, cruises, adventures, the Outward Bound school and wilderness guides.

DOC also operates the Nydia track and huts in Pelorus Sound, near to Northwest Bay and Tennyson Inlet.

Maud Island, towards the outer Pelorus, is a focal point for DOC scientific work with endangered species – and where special interest educational tours can go under escort by water taxis on agreed weekends.

What does wilderness mean. One person’s wilderness is another person’s harmony with nature. But whatever your perspective, wilderness in the Sounds at least means bush, water, birds – and unfortunately, possums. With the predator possum comes threats to the regeneration of the wilderness, and efforts combat the pest. The pests, the prevention measures, the people and “progress” provide their own challenges to the wilderness, and creatures which have survived in it.

Your slice of wilderness can include the curious weka bird, the singing tuis and bellbirds, the flitting fantail – or maybe a rendezvous with the endangered kakapo. Your walk in the bush can also take you past ferms large and small, beech and rimu trees, manuka and kanuka, streams and rocks. As you encounter success and failure in conserving nature your mind might turn to big issues of the modern era about managing the environment, from climate change to recycling polices, from water conservation to refuse and sanitation policies.

You may return from your visit to the wilderness with questions – philosophical or about handling local issues. But lets get you into the wilderness first.

Find out more about DOC concessionaires, its own other tracks, modest accommodation and other tour operations experienced in taking people like you into the wilderness

Queen Charlotte walkway

Track guide

Nydia Track

Nydia track

Wilderness Piorities

View from Salem balconey below	Salem seriously beautiful waters
After pine plantations have been harvested	Nydia from Salem lookout