Queen Charlotte Track to Havelock
- john51648
- Jan 29, 2021
- 7 min read
Day 79 (January 26)
Picton to Ship Cove (by boat) then to Camp Bay (27km by foot)
So today the journey in the south commences properly.
Awoke earlyish and were accosted in our little apartment by a lady, Shearer, who was not quite right (not sure if that’s the PC term) and proceeded to tell us we should deviate from our plan and do an eco tour of Motorua Island before starting. In here worlds its “wonderful a joy to the heart”
She spotted our room key and quickly grabbed it so I just hope she is part of the establishment.
After escaping Shearer we left the backpackers and had a cooked breakfast before catching the water taxi to Ship Cove.
The first section off the TA in the South Island is the Queen Charlotte track. This is a very popular “glamping” track with large numbers of people walking it with day packs and having their baggage carried by boat from accomodation to to accomodation.
The water taxi took about an hour and dropped us off at Ship Cove. Ship Cove is the northern point of the TA in the South Island and from here on it is foot down to Bluff!!
Met another TA walker lady (Sara) who is walking this section with a friend who lives locally so might see her along the way.
McVet is renowned for his forgetfulness and ability to lose things so it was no surprise when after our first stop he had to turn and run back having left his poles behind. I’m sure this will be a recurring theme for the journey but the novelty will go so I won’t report every instance.
The walk commenced with a steep climb which was a good tune up and reminder of how fitness does go over the Christmas period.
The views here are really fabulous with the deep blue of the sounds and dark green bush running to the water.
We reached Furneaux Lodge at about 1.00pm and stopped for a beer as our plan was to camp at Miners Camp which was only about a km further on.
While at Furneaux we did meet a guy, who I can only assume is a Trump supporter as he told us in no uncertain terms that Sara (the Kiwi/French TA walker) cannot be a Kiwi as she wasn’t born here! Bloody awful attitude if you ask me but I chose to bite my tongue rather than ruin an otherwise great day by getting into an altercation .
After Furneax, and probably fuelled by, the beer we walked straight past Miners Camp and decided to push on a go to Camp Bay Campsite. This being a further 11km.
It was blisteringly hot and given it was day one we were both getting pretty weary before we found a BBQ table beside the trail that we moved in to the shade for a late lunch stop.
Replenished we made it through to Camp Bay, arriving at about 5.00pm. After setting up tents we decided to walk to Punga Cove Resort which is adjacent and see if we could have a shower after a swim in the bay. Sure enough we could not only have a swim off their wharf and a shower after to rinse both ourselves and putt cloths but we could follow all that with a cold beer sitting on the wharf.
I just hope McVet isn’t beginning to think my tales of deprivation in the TA are all BS given his first day experience of two resorts and cold beer!
Anyway back to our camp and had rehydrated dinner so not doing it all the easy way.
Day 80 27January
Camp Bay to Cow Shed Bay Camp (near Portage) (23km)
Up about 6.30 which as well before most of the other campers, seems the non TA hikers can do things at a more leisurely pace.
Tried the first of the Radix dehydrated breakfasts. Having not used the Radix brand dehydrated food before it is all a bit of an experiment but after two of their meals I’m a convert. While I don’t usually have rehydrated breakfasts I packed one for this section and it was fabulous, actually too much for one person so McVet and I shared it.
Talking of McVet, he’s slowly getting some systems and organisation going, it was noticeable how this morning he was sorted quicker and I’m sure in a week he’ll be fully sorted.
So far have we’ve met about seven other TA walkers, so quite a few and the majority are doing only the South Island which suggests it’s going to be a lot busier than I experienced in the North.
Today started with a longish climb and the day overall has quite a bit of hill in it. About 1100m of ascent and descent. This is a factor of the Queen Charlotte Track as generally you camp down near the water and the track follows the ridge lines, which invariably go up and down. The benefit of this though is the fabulous views of both Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds.
One of the most obvious things is the colour difference between the two sounds Queen Charlotte is a deep blue and Kenepuru an equally deep green colour.
A lot of the track today runs through private land and hence the ubiquitous DOLC signs I’m so used to give way to home made signage posted by the landowners. All interesting and given this more likely to be read than the DOC versions.
By the time we got Cow Shed Bay it was stiflingly hot. This camp ground is accessible by road and hence there are a mix of tent and camper and sites. We decided on a camper site as they were a bit cooler and close to the ammenities.
Wandered down to the Portage hotel for a pre dinner drink and met up with a few others we’d seen during the day. One group from Wellington shouted Chris and I as a tribute to what we’re doing, which was really nice.
Back to the camp site and another Radix meal, this time a vegetarian one and again I was impressed.
The one thing that is becoming a bit of an issue for me is blisters. It would seem the changing of shoes for the South may have been a mistake as I have about five pretty significant blisters. A couple are repeats of North Island ones but three are new so I’m again keeping the blister plaster people in business.
Day 81 (28 January)
Cow Shed Bay to Linkwater (26km)
Because last night camp site was, again, down at the water’s edge and the track follows the ridge the day commenced with a long uphill grind. Followed by a series of ups and downs.
After a stop for lunch, something that I seem to be doing more hiking with someone, we dropped down into beautiful beech first and followed the coast through to Anakiwa.
At Anakiwa we stopped for a soft drink and ice cream and a quick rest in the shade before commencing the road walk out.
About 5km of very hot road walk (30+deg) to the Smith’s Camp Ground where we decided to stay for the night.
Just after arriving at Smiths a cold change came in and the wind built from the south and the temperature dropped from 30ish to 16 or 17degC.Fortunately we’d splashed out on a cabin as it would have been a real test of tents in the wind.
Day 82 (29 January)
Linkwater to Havelock (15km)
Well today we were planning on a long day to Pelorus Bridge but foot reasons I’ll explain later stopped in Havelock.
A bit of a late start, with repacking ready for Richmond Ranges and probably just getting back into the swing of things, we left the campground about 8.30.
The first part of the trail today follows the road then moves onto a newish track that runs above the road toward Havelock.
Before we’d gone a kilometre I managed to stick McVet with my treking pole but adjusting my pack and waving it around a bd catching him behind the knee. Luckily while it made him squirm I didn’t break the skin so no need for medical intervention.
We passed Jared and Mitch (a couple of the other TA walkers) at the Queen Charlotte Tavern where they were trying to hitch in to Havelock. Seems they are approaching this differently to us!
The first section of track just didn’t seem as the maps and elevation profile had shown it. We were expecting something very steep climbing almost a Haka above the road whereas we were on a track that meandered slowly upwards before returning to the road.
On further investigation it seems the trail maps are wrong and the track is in fact easier than depicted, this must be a first for the TA, normally errors make things look easier than they are!
After a few sections of road and track we sighted Havelock in the distance.
At one point I came across a hole in the road that was over a metre deep and when I poked my treking pole down seemed to be a cavity about a menter across also. Only a matter of time until the road collapses there, despite our trying we couldn’t find a road worker who was interested in this!
Havelock claims to be the mussel capital of the south and so arriving her we went in search of a mussel burger or fritter. Found ourselves in the pub and after brief consideration decided if we were to continue from here we would be arriving in Pelorus very late whereas we could stop here and regroup.
After a recommendation we had lunch at Mills Bay Mussels which if anyone is passing through here I’d totally recommend.
Afternoon of watching Americas Cup boats and completing this blog which is good as I wont get any more done for over a week now, due to lack of power and coverage in the Richmond Ranges.
Are you too embarrassed to tell everyone that you have done the Queen Charlotte
glamping style! Admittedly it was with less adventurous friends and with Marie
Great camera work John..Appreciate NZs beautiful scenery. May the weather gods be kind to you.
Great you‘re both underway. See you didn’t go for the beef burger at Furneaux this time;) Thanks for the Shamrock Ridge photo, brings back fond memories. I assume there was no sign of Ronan!