Sounds Connection is committed to sustainable tourism and accepts an ongoing responsibility to reduce environmental impact and contribute positively to the community.
We see sustainability as a journey that will improve with time and experience.
In order to achieve this we pledge the following:
We are also proud to support the recently launched Tiaki Promise to increase awareness of the need to care for our New Zealand environment. Tiaki in te reo Māori means to care and protect and to look after people and place. You can read more about what the Tiaki Promise stands for on our blog.
And while you are travelling in New Zealand, you can support the Tiaki Promise by:
Sounds Connection is part of the wider community. We live and work in Marlborough and we care about the region and its locals. As such we are very supportive of local schools, sports groups, community groups, and events, providing fundraising opportunities and sponsorship wherever possible. We are also strong supporters of local environmental projects.
Each year Sounds Connection supports the Picton and Waikawa Harbour Clean-up, supplying a boat for the divers and other volunteers heading out to clear the seabed of bottles and other rubbish. Keeping our local waters clean is crucial to our business but also to our community. You can read about the 2019 harbour clean-up on our website.
We have also been proud to support the wonderful regeneration of the Para Wetlands near Picton. The 122-hectare wetland is the largest in the region, and particularly important given Marlborough has lost 97% of its wetlands over the past century. Since 2009 Fish & Game, winemakers Pernod Ricard plus other local businesses and volunteers have been removing the willows that were choking the wetlands and planting over 3500 kahikatea, cabbage trees, flax, coprosma and manuka. The area is already looking remarkably different to ten years ago and has seen an increase in waterfowl, fish, and birdlife as well as promoting native tree regrowth. We look forward to seeing this stunning wetland in another ten years.
You can read more about this project here.
At Sounds Connection we’re delighted to have become Gold Sponsors of The Link Pathway in 2019. As a financial contributor, we can support the amazing team at The Link Pathway to complete the final stage of the walking/running/cycle track between Havelock, Anakiwa, and Picton. Three kilometres of this 42-kilometre free-to-use track remains unfinished with completion scheduled for early 2020.
The pathway winds through native bush, beech forests, punga and podocarp groves with spectacular views of the Marlborough Sounds. The Link Pathway has been a community initiative with over 40,000 volunteer hours to date and it has already proved to be a wonderful community asset, linking small communities while also providing visitors with access to a stunning slice of paradise.
We are always looking for ways to make Sounds Connection more sustainable and to help preserve this special part of the world for future generations. Watch this space and please get in touch if you can help.
Sounds Connection has been operating since 1993 and is privately owned by Marlborough locals Mark and Maria Baxter.
Marlborough offers a wide range of activities for families, groups, and the independent traveller.
Wine Tours
Fishing Charters
Private & Scenic Tours
Cruise Ship Excursions
OUR POLICIES
Phone: 03 573 8843 (NZ)
+64 3 573 8843 (International)
For reservations free phone: 0800 PICTON (742 866) NZ Only