The start of our hiking adventure! At the briefing we met a lovely couple Holly and Sam who had their 6 month old son, Lachy with them, and after chatting, realised that Holly knows my son and daughter from Perth days. Such a small world!
The Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds is one of the most diverse coastal walking and biking trail in New Zealand. It is accessed by boat from Picton to its beginning at the scenic and historic reserve of Ship Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound. This is where the first known European, Captain James Cook, stepped ashore in January 1770 and made this small cove his south pacific base for the next seven years. He was to return to Ship Cove on five seperate occasions and spent more than 100 days there as it provided safe anchorage, food and fresh water and timber for repairs to his ship. Ship Cove is an iconic historic site and is regarded as one of the most important meeting places between New Zealand Māori and the European, Cook.
Today’s walk is from Ship Cove to Endeavour Inlet (to the Furneaux Lodge jetty) and is 17kms. We passed through virgin native forest and gradually climbed to Ship Cove platform where there are beautiful views across to Motuara Island. This section of the track also currently borders a predator-eradication programme run by the Department of Conservation which targets possums who destroy large amounts of New Zealand native foliage.
We then walked downwards into Schoolhouse and Resolution Bay. This section of the track passes through native forest and then regenerating forest typified by native trees such as manuka and manuka. We stopped for lunch at Schoolhouse Bay and then began another climb towards Tara Bay Saddle. Fortunately there is seating through the saddle with views to Endeavour Inlet where we could rest and take in the magnificent views. From Tara Bay Saddle it is mainly downhill with views into Tawa Bay and then views of the head of the Endeavour Inlet.
Nearing our destination we passed a small settlement called The Pines with houses nestled in the bush. Then just 15 minutes to our destination, Furneaux Lodge. We made it!!!
Our beautiful accommodation for the night, Furneaux Lodge, is pictured below.
There are a lot of weka birds on the trail. They are large flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, and beware, if you leave any food in a bag on the ground, they will have it.
