FESTIVAL PARTIES
Celebrations of food, wine, music and friendship are a highlight of the Marlborough Sounds WATER and WILDERNESS Festival.
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Water & Wilderness in the Sounds – 26-28 September
Sounds Adventure Challenge – 3-5 October
Sounds Seafood School – 10-12 October
Creative Sounds – 17-19 October
Spring in the Sounds – 24-27 October
Book through a special Festival package on each weekend information page or individually with Tasman Direct.
Water &Wilderness Weekend
The opening weekend of the Festival starts with your chance to meet the Winemakers from Forrest Estate Winery, Allan Scott Wines, Lawsons Dry Hills and Pernod Ricard. First a pre-dinner winetasting of a selection of wines from each of the winemakers, followed by a 4 course food & wine match by The Portage chef. Each table will be hosted by a winery representative, the night is a wonderful opportunity to get close to some of Marlborough’s best wine.
| Event | Date | Time | By boat from Picton per person |
Staying at Portage Per person |
Booking Code | |
| Winemakers Dinner incl free pre dinner tasting and boat transfers from Picton | Saturday 27 Sep | 6.00pm – 11.30pm |
$175 – by boat from Picton | PWD | ||
| Winemakers Dinner incl free pre dinner tasting | Saturday 27 Sep | 6.00pm – 11.30pm |
$125 – staying at Portage or by car | WD |
Sounds Adventure Challenge
After a day of fun and adventure in the Marlborough Sounds and the Adventure Challenge prizegiving there will be a bonfire on the waterfront and a big BBQ at the Snapper Cafe along with the chance to sample the fabulous new MOA Beer and Forrest Estate Wines with dinner.
| Event | Date | Time | By boat from Picton per person |
Staying at Portage Per person |
Booking Code | |
| Adventure Challenge BBQ | Saturday 4 October | 5.30pm – 8.00pm | $25 –adult $10 –child |
KB |
Creative Sounds
Discover your creative side. Join our art and writing workshops for a weekend of inspiration with New Zealand painter - Wayne Seyb and writer Joan Rosier-Jones.
‘Expressive Painting with Wayne Seyb – unleash your creative spirit at The Portage’
This is an opportunity for artists with some practical experience to free up their style and develop their skills in oil painting in an expressive manner, including preparatory drawing, composition, use of colour and texture, with nationally recognised painter Wayne Seyb, one of the best exponents of this style. Open subject matter but primarily landscape, with plenty of inspiration in the landscape around The Portage Resort . Some materials will be supplied.
Writing Your Family History – with Joan Rosier-Jones
NZ novelist and author of So You Want to Write and Writing Your Family History, prominent creative writing tutor, and former President of the NZ Society of Authors (PEN). Joan will guide you on how to shape your existing research, knowledge and background information into a cohesive and entertaining Family History. This two-day workshop will focus on the actual writing of the family history, the best approach or style for you individually, where to start, how to structure the work, and inspiration to aid the process of writing. Joan will facilitate the workshop and offer one-on-one guidance for participants as required. The workshop focus is on the writing rather than the researching. Participants need only bring paper, pen, laptop if they prefer, background material, and the desire to write!
| Event | Date | Time | By boat from Picton per person |
Staying at Portage Per person |
Booking Code | |
| Wayne Seyb Painting Workshop | Sat 18 & Sun 19 Oct | 9am-5pm daily | Book direct with Cougar Line Departs 9am from Picton and returns 6.15pm from Portage each day |
$250 – for 2 day workshop only. Package including overnight stay recommended. |
JPW | |
| Writing Your Family History Workshop | Sat 18 & Sun 19 Oct | 9am-5pm daily | Book direct with Cougar Line Departs 9am from Picton and returns 6.15pm from Portage each day. |
$150 – for 2 day workshop only. Package including overnight stay recommended. |
JRJW | |
| Green Shell Mussel Cruise & Tasting | Sat 18 October | 2.30pm | $99 per person | TGMT | ||
| Dinner with the Artists including pr-dinner wine tasting with Lawsons Dry Hills | Sat 18 October | 7pm – late | Book direct with Cougar Line Departs 6pm from Picton and returns 11.30pm from Portage. |
$55 | BB |
Spring in the Sounds
Labour Weekend is all about Kiwis enjoying New Zealand and its must to be out and about enjoying the Marlborough Sounds.
Spring kicks off the annual Kenepuru Sound Snapper Fishing Competition. Its been around for 50 plus years and challenges the locals to catch the biggie – 15 plus pounds up to the real biggie of 22.5 pounds – are the annual challenge. But it has to be from Kenepuru Sound. Let us arrange a fishing trip for you, just enjoy being out there or go hard for the Royale Portage Bay Boating Club Cup.
Nighttime brings on party time. Saturday night it’s the Nairobi Trio with Jazz matched with a cabaret style meal. Combined with the great music of the famous Nairobi Jazz Trio, it’s a night not to be missed.
Sunday night is the Boating Club Barbeque and all are welcome. A laid back fun barbeque for all fisher folk.
| Event | Date | Time | By boat from Picton per person |
Staying at Portage Per person |
Booking Code | |
| Green Shell Mussel Cruise & Tasting | Sat 25 October | 2.30pm | $99 per person | TGMT | ||
| Nairobi Trio Jazz Cabaret Dinner | Sat 25 October | 7.30pm – late | $145 – including boat transfer | NT | ||
| Nairobi Trio Jazz Cabaret Dinner | Sat 25 October | 7.30pm – late | $75 – at Portage | NTP |
