"Picton could become: Picton, a fantastic town near the sea, rather than a transit town. They campaigned so hard to not lose the ferry port - I think that would be the making of them.
"I just don't think it works as a stepping off point of the South Island."
On his show last week, Lush said he had never had a good time in Picton and was sure he wasn't the only one.
Lush told the Herald he had nothing against small towns. He has lived in Bluff on and off for 16 years.
"I adore a small town, absolutely fantastic," he said.
In Picton, where he would spend so much time waiting for the ferry, he said he would wander the town and there would be nothing to do.
"It seems really transient and not functioning that well as a town ... don't get me started on the mall."
He didn't know much about what Picton was before it was a port town, but presumed it was a whaling town, which might contribute to the area being "karmically dead".
He said he had done other activities in Picton such as going out fishing or heading out on the Queen Charlotte walkway, but there was nothing much interesting about it.
"It's not spectacular virgin bush."
Others have come out against Lush's comments online.
Kaye Stokes posted on Facebook saying she had "some of the happiest moments of my life in Picton".
Wayne Isles also took to Facebook to say there was more to Picton "than a bloody shopping mall".
"Get a life," he said.
"Marcus, I doubt anyone enjoys the frustrations of travelling on the ferry," Violette Querencia said on Lush's Facebook page.
"I think your flippant negative comment regarding Picton needed to be rephrased with regards to that, and not in reference to the town itself.
"Come and hang out one day in summer, its a beautiful place with lots to offer."
Lush said the response from people to his comments was "part of the human condition".
"The more you react, it's because you know that it's true. That's why they're so defensive. They realise their town's not up to scratch."
