Friday morning we left the car, suitcase, and daypacks at the backpackers and walked down to the wharf with our packs to arrange water taxi transportation out to the trailhead of the Queen Charlotte Track. The only way to get to the start of the track at Ship Cove is by a one hour boat ride. As we checked in we found out that they could ferry our backpacks from campsite to campsite so Doug sprinted back to the backpackers to get a daypack and we quickly repacked for day use. The change in schedule meant that we had to decide then and there where we would be staying each night. The campgrounds are spaced such that we opted to divide the 71 km track into 26.5 km on day 1, 24.5 km on day 2 and 20 km on day 3. There were 8 of us on the Endeavour Express taxi boat leaving Picton at 9:30.
A kiwi couple was tramping the track from lodge to lodge. Two girls were hiking just one day to the first lodge and leaving the track by boat taxi. A couple of young Israeli guys just out of the army were hiking the full track staying at the same campgrounds we were. After a wonderful boat ride out through Queen Charlotte Sound, we arrived in Ship Cove at 10:30.
Captain Cook anchored here 5 times between 1770 and 1777 (once in the Endeavour and 4 times in the Resolution). Here is the memorial.
Here we are fresh off the boat and ready to go.
With a 10:30 start time and 26.5 km to tramp before dark at 6:00 we knew we had to get going so we didn’t linger too long in Ship Cove. Once the taxi left we know we had to make it to Camp Bay to get our backpacks. It was a lonely feeling to see the taxi motor off. We were committed and in for a long day. 
There were a few spits of rain but the weather was basically pretty nice. I was overdressed and ended up shedding my fleece coat.
After a steep climb through thick forest we were rewarded with spectacular views out over the outer Queen Charlotte Sound and then Resolution Bay. The tree ferns were amazing. How’s this for a fiddlehead?
We had bit of sit down at the saddle between bays and were instantly approached by a begging weka, a very inquisitive, flightless bird.
The next view is of Endeavour Inlet and our camp site for the night is directly across the water but a long tramp around the inlet. We ate lunch at the water’s edge along the inlet.
Along the inlet we crossed a stream on a swinging suspension bridge.
The sense of isolation continued throughout the day despite passing cabins and lodges as we did not see any other people all day and arrived at Camp Bay at 5:00 with very sore feet. We retrieved our packs from where the boat taxi had dropped them on the pier.
While setting up camp the weka continued to be very inquisitive to the point of obnoxiousness by pecking at the tent and backpacks. The setting was wonderful with lush native bush and a steam within earshot.
The sense of isolation continued throughout the day despite passing cabins and lodges as we did not see any other people all day and arrived at Camp Bay at 5:00 with very sore feet. We retrieved our packs from where the boat taxi had dropped them on the pier.
While setting up camp the weka continued to be very inquisitive to the point of obnoxiousness by pecking at the tent and backpacks. The setting was wonderful with lush native bush and a steam within earshot.
The Israeli guys made it to camp after dark. They were impressed that we had out-hiked them. It rained lightly during the night but we were prepared. We had left the rain covers on the backpacks and laid them on the picnic table for the night.
Day 2 (Sat) on the trail dawned cloudy but not raining. We were up and out of camp by 8:30. With an earlier start on the track and less distance to cover for the day we slowed the pace down just a bit. After a short climb we were back up on the ridge and could look down to either side to The Queen Charlotte Sound or Kenepuru Sound.
We could also see back to Picton where it had all begun.
Interesting rock layers were visible along the trail side.
We ate lunch at a Department of Conservation campground cook shelter overlooking Bay of Many Coves. Once again the weka was very bold even coming into the shelter to snatch up crumbs. They were also very territorial. One attacked another and we witnessed a cock fight. The rest of the day the trail changed character constantly from open track to deep beech forest to lush ferns to manuka to gorse or to towering pines. At times I felt like I walking through a NE autumn kicking fallen leaves.
After a long 24.5 km on sore feet we arrived at Torea Saddle about 4:00 and walked down the road to the Portage Resort Hotel on the Kenepuru Sound. We had to wait for our packs to be delivered (they had arrived by boat taxi on the Queen Charlotte Sound side of the saddle). This saddle was used by the Maori to haul their wakas (canoes) from one sound to the other thus saving themselves a long sea journey. We camped at Cowshed Bay just down the road from the hotel. This time the Israelis arrived before dark so we had dinner with them. We had couscous with smoked chicken and they opened cans of corn and tuna and ate them with the folded can lids. Steady light rain overnight intensified in the morning so we opted to go back to Picton on the water taxi with our packs. We packed up and walked down the road to the hotel and bought a delicious hot breakfast with a gorgeous waterside view of Kenepuru Sound. We were the only people at the hotel until the Israelis arrived and also decided to opt out of the last day of tramping. The staff was wonderful about letting us hang out in the hotel lobby. One of the domestic staff was Maori with a traditional moku tattooed on her chin. We thought we would have to wait until 4:00 but the word came at 11:00 that the taxi was coming. We headed over Torea Saddle in a hotel bus to the Queen Charlotte side and then back to Picton on the boat. The Queen Charlotte Track is made up of two older tracks. We tramped the entire Kenepuru Track and missed out on the Anakiwa Track. We wouldn’t have seen much in the rain and did not want to go slip sliding away.
We went back to Sequoia Lodge to dry out. Luckily there was a large covered porch in front of our room so we were able to dry things out even though it was pouring.
We bumped up our Interislander ferry Picton to Wellington reservation from Wed to Mon to give ourselves a bit more time on North Island. We spent the evening catching up on Olympic coverage.
We went back to Sequoia Lodge to dry out. Luckily there was a large covered porch in front of our room so we were able to dry things out even though it was pouring.
We bumped up our Interislander ferry Picton to Wellington reservation from Wed to Mon to give ourselves a bit more time on North Island. We spent the evening catching up on Olympic coverage.
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