Comstor takes partners to visit NZ scenic royalty

Recently Comstor took the 17 partners who won the latest Destination Comstor promotion to the Marlborough Sounds to walk and kayak the Queen Charlotte Track

The promotion ran for six months and was based on partners purchasing and growing their Cisco Volume business.

Each winning company received one spot, all expenses paid.

The trip catered to the various fitness levels and everyone could do it at their own pace.

Partners were flown from all around the country including, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Gisborne to attend.

The group were welcomed to the Marlborough region with a winery tour and welcome dinner at Hans Herzog restaurant in Blenheim, before a stay at the Picton Yacht Club Hotel with views to the harbour.

The following day the group took a water taxi to Ships Cove for the start of the Queen Charlotte Track with guides from the Marlborough Sounds Adventure Company.

The first part of the track was 12km, with a few steep climbs and some surprise rain showers.

Luckily, the temperature stayed hot and the showers eased up in the afternoon as the sun came out.

The walk was fully guided, providing an insight into the track and answering questions along the way.

The first day of walking ended at Furneaux Lodge where the group spent an evening relaxing with drinks on the verandah, followed by a sumptuous meal and games in the bar.

The second day of the walk was 14km of relatively level track following the coast from Endeavour Inlet to Punga Cove.

The weather was still warm with a slight breeze which made the walk comfortable.

The group was greeted with Pimms Cups, and live music on the bay while awaiting the water taxi to Torea Bay, where they spent the night at Portage Resort.

The third day dawned cold, wet and windy which meant the group was unable to walk kayak as scheduled but led to an afternoon spent on group activities that kept cabin fever at bay.

The fourth and final day of the trip, the group had a couple of options for activities; to kayak around the Sounds or experience the wineries in Blenheim.

Those that kayaked headed out from Picton harbour in double kayaks, getting a great view of a seal sunning himself on the rocks.

Mussels were picked from the rocks and cooked during the morning tea break, parked up on a sandy beach.

They further explored the little bays, seeing a few stingrays, and covering 15km before finishing at Ngatuka Bay.