Location

GPS Coordinates:

Lat: 41:11:22S (-41.189496,)
Lon: 174:01:01E (174.016988)

Change to satellite view to see the lodge

We are at Kaiaho Point, situated right in the middle of Kenepuru Sound, which is itself, in reality, a large branch of Pelorus Sound.

Pelorus Sound is one of the 2 main bodies of water (the other is Queen Charlotte Sound) which open to the sea, and collectively make up the Marlborough Sounds.

Kaiaho Point (also referred to informally as ‘Pine Tree Point’) is at the South-West end of a narrow-necked peninsula, about 1 km long, and known locally as ‘Portage Island’.

It is directly opposite Portage Bay (at about 1 km distance), and the historic Portage Saddle, which earlier Maori residents of the Marlborough Sounds used as the main route between the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte Sounds systems. They ‘portaged’ their canoes across the low saddle – hence the name.
 

Kaiaho Point on left - 'Portage Island' - Kaiaho Point in middle

Beach at 'The Cut' (start of walking track which climbs ridge to left)

Access options

(NOT accessible to motor vehicles)

- Your own boat: paddle, row, sail or motor.

- Walk in: follow a 1.5km track from Kenepuru Road (starting 1km beyond Portage; contains a short steep section); for those contemplating a detour from the Queen Charlotte Track, this would imply a roughly 3.5km walk from the Portage saddle, - about 2km of this on sealed road. Bag transport from Portage or Te Mahia can be arranged (cost extra).
- Water taxi: from Portage (5 minutes), Te Mahia (10 minutes) or Havelock (40 minutes).
 

The easier option         Dry shoes boat access

Reaching Portage or Te Mahia

From Picton (e.g., inter-island ferry terminal) by boat, take a water taxi to Torea Bay (about 10 minutes), then walk (30 minutes) or take Hotel mini-bus (5 minutes) over the saddle road to Portage.  Alternatively, water taxis from Picton stop at Mistletoe Bay, which is similarly a short walk over a saddle road to Te Mahia.

From Picton or Havelock by sealed road (allow 60-90 minutes), follow Queen Charlotte Drive west or east to Linkwater, there turning north and following Kenepuru Road to Te Mahia or Portage, where public parking can be found near the respective jetties.  There is also some parking available about 1 km north-east of Portage at the beginning of the walking track down to the isthmus and over Portage ‘Island’.