Punga Cove Resort

We were doing the queen charlotte track and planned to visit for drinks at the waterfront cafe and pizza on arrival. the staff decided not to open that friday so it was closed. hundreds of people were enjoying the grassy site at the waterfront and were disappointed. the punga fern restaurant was open but its a very steep uphill climb to the restaurant to get food and drinks. Do be aware that apart from the grassy area at the waterfront the whole of punga cove is on a steep hill and requires walking up and down steep paths to get to places. The punga fern restaurant has amazing views, but the food let it down. I was keen on seafood chowder starter and then mussels. But the waitress advised they dont allow a starter size seafood chowder. I thought that was totally bizzare. the mussels were overcooked and werent the plumb juicy mussels you expect from mills bay mussels. The seafood lasagna was short on seafood and a soggy mess. The creme brulee was terrible - it wasnt a creme brulee cooked custard, i would call it a custard (possibly with gelantine rather than baked in water). The new york cheesecake wasnt baked and it was pretty sweet and disappointing. We had lunch at furneaux and it was delicious and fantastic food. i recommend there instead.

Accomodation was good , unfortunately the meals were very sub standard and the staff didnt seem to care either . There were 8 of us travelling and that evening 4 ordered the corn fritter - it was nothing short of absolutely terrible , little or no corn and this replaced with capers , lots and lots of them more than you could be expected to eat ( fresh sweetcorn in full season too ) .The entree salt and pepper squid was from a packet and served soggy not crisp at all .The breakfast the next morning not much better , the single slice of sourdough toast with scrambled eggs varied from a piece of crust to other marginal pieces of supermarket sourdough - all in all a real disappointment .The photo below what was left on one of the plates after some consumed .We raised the dinner issues with staff who didnt seem to care or be interested in addressing the issues .

Stopped for one night while walking the QCT. The room was nice and quiet. I enjoyed the food as well. I highly recommend. My only gripe is the lack of facial tissue in the room. Very odd for such a nice place.

This was the hotel after the second day of walking and it was a nice place to rest. The hotel is a bit tired but very clean with amazing views. Staff were friendly. Much smaller menu than Furneaux Lodge but very good food. A nice beach to swim in and a hot tub and a pool as well. Again the walkers lunch was not great and a rip off at $29. Great views from the balcony of most rooms and the bar!

The accommodation is pretty basic but clean. Given the huge number of sandflies at this location I think fly screens would be warranted. I wanted to review the restaurant. I had the fish chowder which was heavenly. Full after only half the bowl I just had to finish it all lest I suddenly die tomorrow having left half a bowl of the most delicious food ever. High praise but we had been walking all day! This place should not be confused with its abominable cousin at Furneaux Lodge whose food was practically inedible (despite walking all that day too!). Strangely, the coffee was great xcellent at Furneaux while only okay at Punga. The swimming here is chilly at 13/14C but I felt so fabulous when I got out. Be very careful if the sand flies… I was covered in the local repellant and yet they happily landed in my unsuspecting legs and took to them with great zeal. 2 days later I am scratching like crazy. But that food. Congratulations on nabbing your new chef guys - fingers crossed she can shake up Furneaux also.

Stayed here on the first night of the Queen Charlotte Track, after mountain biking from Ship Cove. The staff were terrific - friendly and helpful. The view over the cove is beautiful. The facilities were old but clean, dry and comfortable. The restaurant food was excellent! Seriously, I was blown away by the taste, quality and presentation. I would take the water taxi here just for the evening meal!

There are several options for staying in the Sounds and Punga came highly recommended. It is a steep resort so do expect a workout to and from your accom and the various facilities. I wanted my own ensuite so ended up With one of the two huge chalets that sleep 7 with its own kitchen, hidden loft room and wrap around balcony. I loved it. There was even a spa bath (which I made use of obvs!). The only option for food was the restaurant (beach cafe was being rebuilt). The menu was short but the food was pretty poor really. Not really seasoned, some odd choices (deep fried mussel anyone?) and overall a bit of a letdown. Appreciating this is a resort based around the impressive activities in the Sounds I was still a little surprised to find alcohol stopped being served around 8:30pm. Access onto queen Charlotte trail is easy, the resort offers kayaks as well to explore the cove. Weirdly I never saw anyone in the pool!

Our group of 15 syayed at Punga Cove on our second night walking the Queen Charlotte track. We ate at the restaurant and had an absolutely beautiful meal. The service was friendly and efficient. Several of us had the seafood chowder which we couldn't fault, delicious! The chef said it was a new menu and the kitchen staff had only been there 2 weeks. The meals were beautifully presented and enjoyed in this stunning part of the country.

Disappointing – ordinary food no tap beer We had an awesome room up a steep driveway - great elevated outlook over the beautiful sounds...BUT... if we'd known the problems at Punga Lodge we would have stayed at Furneaux Lodge two nights rather than splitting it one night in each