Kaipupu Sanctuary — Attraction in South Island

Absolutely and totally not worth it. The price to get to this peninsula (its not an island) is extortionate as you have to get here via boat. You walk around for an hour or so in a circle and then you're done. You dont see any birds that you cant see from the mainland, and as nice as the views could be on a clear day, you seldom find a photo opportunity spot. The track is well maintained so its just about suitable for a baby stroller, but dont be fooled, this is just an hour's walk in the country which you can do for free all across New Zealand, only this one is $40 per person minimum price depending on which boat company you choose. Extortionate. What a rip...

Had a nice walk around the free sanctuary after catching a water taxi ($80 return for 1-4 people) there. We were welcomed by a seal waiting at the jetty! Gave him plenty of room so he could get back into the water before we went through the gate and up to the path. Didn't see as many birds as we hoped, but did manage to see both a kereru and some fantails, and we heard bellbirds and tuis. Made for a good walk, but probably should have allowed more than the hour and a half that we did before the water taxi was due back, so we could have had a bit more of a leisurely stroll (and perhaps seen more birdlife!). Great views of the sound as we moved around...

Lovely walk. Saw tui, fantails, wood pigeons, and nesting Penguins. 2.5km easy loop walk, with 200m of switchbacks to get to the walk from the jetty. Had informational signs on the flora and fauna. When rainy, track can be a bit slippery, so wear good shoes. Kayaked there. My biggest complaint was that there aren't any places to launch a kayak in Shakespeare Bay or on the west side of Picton harbor. Had to launch from the east side at Shelley Beach and cross the busy traffic lines in the harbor to get to it the Kaipupu peninsula. Took us 1 hour in inflatable kayak to get there and 1.25...