Nothing on the Queen Charlotte Track works until a boat drops you off: there is no road to Meretoto/Ship Cove, where the 73.5 km walk begins. From October two Picton operators run summer departures to the track, and the one you book decides when you start walking, where your pack sleeps and how you get home.
Cougar Line summer schedule for October 2026 to April 2027 and Beachcomber departures for 1 October to 30 April, both checked 29 September 2026 Cougar Line – timetable · 2026-09-29
The Queen Charlotte Track runs 73.5 km from Meretoto/Ship Cove to Anakiwa, and DOC is plain that the cove can only be reached by water. Starting at the northern end therefore means booking a track transfer: a scheduled boat from Picton that drops people at landings round the outer Sound and collects them on its way back. Cougar Line and Beachcomber Cruises each sell a return pass and a one-way seat to Ship Cove.
Cougar Line's summer schedule is headed October 26 to April 27; Beachcomber's runs from 1 October to 30 April. An early boat gets you to Ship Cove with a full day for the first stage; the 13:30 leaves a short first afternoon, and camping at the cove itself is not allowed.
Then match the ticket to how you plan to finish. A return pass includes daily luggage transfers and a boat back to Picton from Anakiwa or another landing, so you walk with a daypack; a one-way seat is cheaper but leaves your bags and your ride home to you.
Decide first whether you need a ride home: both companies sell a return pass with luggage moves and a cheaper one-way seat to Ship Cove. Cougar Line only shows its one-way fare inside its booking engine, so it is not in the table below.
Prices are in New Zealand dollars. Neither operator says whether GST is included, and Beachcomber warns that the final figure is set when you book. The QCTLC land pass for the private sections is extra.
| Cougar Line Round Trip Track Pass, adult 16+ | $ 155 |
| Cougar Line Round Trip Track Pass, child 5–15 | $ 77.50 |
| Beachcomber Great Track and Pack Pass, adult 15+, from | $ 138 |
| Beachcomber Great Track and Pack Pass, child 5–14, from | $ 83 |
| Infants 0–4, either operator | Free |
| Beachcomber, adult 15+, from | $ 91 |
| Beachcomber, child 5–14, from | $ 57 |
| Standard mountain bike on Cougar Line, each way | $ 10 |
| Motuara Island stop on Beachcomber's 08:00, per person | $ 5 |
Prices shown on the operators' websites on 29 September 2026; Beachcomber marks its figures as indicative 'from' prices Cougar Line – Round Trip Track Pass · 2026-09-29
Every track boat leaves Picton heading north-east up Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui, calling on request at bays such as Torea Bay and the Bay of Many Coves, and reaches Meretoto/Ship Cove near the mouth of the Sound before working back past Resolution Bay, Furneaux Lodge in Endeavour Inlet and Punga Cove. The walk itself then runs south-west along the ridges: DOC splits it into Ship Cove to Camp Bay (26.5 km), Camp Bay to Torea Saddle (24.5 km) and Torea Saddle to Anakiwa (20 km).
Both operators have offices on the Picton foreshore, a short walk from the Interislander terminal and the bus stop, so stepping off the Cook Strait ferry onto a track boat the same morning is realistic if the times line up. Cougar Line's office has purple flags on the roof. Neither has customer parking; Picton's paid car parks allow overnight stays but fill early in summer, so leave time before the 30-minute check-in cut-off.
The northern trailhead is a sheltered cove with toilets and interpretation panels about its history. DOC does not allow camping here, so plan to walk on the day you land: the nearest DOC campsite is at Schoolhouse Bay in Resolution Bay, 4.5 km along the track. The pin on our map marks the cove, not the jetty itself.
Cougar Line closes check-in 30 minutes before departure, so add parking time. Walk-ins are taken when there is room, but not reliably in summer.
On a return pass you give the operator your drop-off point, each night's accommodation and your pick-up place and time; Cougar Line will not confirm the itinerary without them. Pack clothes in plastic bags: luggage crosses open jetties in all weather.
From Kenepuru Saddle south to Anakiwa the track crosses private land and needs a Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative pass, not part of any boat fare. Cougar Line sells it in Picton; it is also sold online and at i-SITEs.
Both operators carry mountain bikes at an extra charge; Beachcomber excludes bike transport from its pass, so budget for it separately.
DOC does not allow dogs anywhere on the Queen Charlotte Track.
The 18:00 on Fridays needs minimum numbers in October and November; if it does not go you are offered another date or a refund, so have a fallback.
Treat the stop times with caution. Cougar Line prints approximate times at each landing but labels them a guide only, and the boat calls where passengers have booked to get on or off. The Friday 18:00 skips Ship Cove, which suits lodges in Endeavour Inlet or Bay of Many Coves but not the trailhead. From May to September 2026 Cougar Line cut back to 09:00 and 13:30 and needed eight passengers before any sailing went, confirming the day before.
Beachcomber's 08:00 is the only departure with a stop at Motuara Island, the bird sanctuary near Ship Cove, for $5 a head extra. Book it to see the island without giving up a walking day; to be on the track early, take Cougar Line's 08:00 or 09:30 or Beachcomber's 09:00.
No. DOC says Meretoto/Ship Cove is reached only by boat, so almost every walker starting at the northern end books a transfer from Picton.
A return pass: Cougar Line's Round Trip Track Pass ($155 adult) or Beachcomber's Great Track and Pack Pass (from $138 adult). Both include luggage moves between accommodation and a boat back to Picton.
Yes. Beachcomber sells one from $91 for an adult and $57 for a child, and Cougar Line sells one through its booking system. Neither includes luggage transfers, and neither can be upgraded to a return later, so decide before you pay.
A QCTLC land pass for the private land between Kenepuru Saddle and Anakiwa, sold separately, including at Cougar Line's Picton office.
Yes. Cougar Line charges $10 each way for a standard mountain bike; its two pages give different e-bike charges, so confirm. Beachcomber carries bikes outside its pass price.
Most people are collected at Anakiwa, the southern end; Beachcomber's pass pick-up there is at 15:30. Cougar Line also collects from Torea Bay, Punga Cove, Furneaux Lodge and other landings by arrangement.