Glamping Te Araroa Trail on The Queen Charlotte

Overlooking Marlborough Sounds from Kenepuru Saddle

With no camping overnight, no freeze dried dinners, smaller backpacks and a cool, very refreshing beer after each day’s trek,  we’ve glamped our way along the Queen Charlotte Track with our great travelling friends Dave & Kerry Lilley, from Taranaki.  

Taking advantage of accommodation on offer and water transport transfers that the Queen Charlotte track offers for visitors, this start to our Te Araroa (TA) South Island trail has gently lead us in and allowed an easier means of building up TA muscle.  John and I offloaded some gear onto Dave & Kerry’s luggage being daily transferred which meant our backs and feet were not being overly taxed by heavy backpacks.  

Ready for Dat 2

Furneaux Lodge

Just as well, as it is over 2 years since completing Te Araroa North Island and all stamina and sturdiness needs rebuilding.  The mountains of the South Island await! 

Two years after completing a walk-through on the Te Araroa trail North Island (1700kms from Cape Reinga to Wellington), we are on the trail again.  Our plan this year is to walk about one third, approximately 450kms from Ships Cove at the start of Queen Charlotte to Arthur’s Pass.  With a big family and a number of commitments underway, including building a house, we feel we do not have the inclination nor time to walk further this year. 

Historically, Meretoto/Ships Cove in the Marlborough Sounds was a safe haven for Captain James Cook. Now it is a scenic reserve with a memorial to Cook and numerous plaques with historical information.

Ships Cove

Beach at Ships Cove

Beach at Ships Cove

Ships Cove

 John, Dave, Kerry and I took the obligatory photo beneath Cook’s Memorial to commemorate our start of walking Queen Charlotte Track.  John and I love this track, having walked this trail previously and also because John has wonderful memories from his time at Outward Bound at Anakiwa (the end of  the QC track) in 1973.

Beneath Captain Cooks memorial at Ships Cove

Stretching between the Queen Charlotte and Keneperu Sounds lies the picturesque Queen Charlotte Track, unique in splendid mountain to sea views, native bush and bird life.

Donald the kilted Scottish TA walker. Loved his color coordination…and he was running

Hymmmm….maybe it no goes guys!

Kerry overlooking Endeavour Inlet

Snack break

Much work is being carried out along this trail to preserve native birds by trapping vermin such a the Australian Possum, rats, stoats and weasels and returning the native bush to native species.  The pine forestry in NZ has been a profitable crop for both local and overseas markets since the 1920’s.  However, ‘wilding’ pines have encroached on native bush so DOC (Department of Conservation) have implemented poisoning individual trees to allow regeneration  of native bush.  A variety of animal traps line the trail and many dead wilding trees can be seen.

Views to the aquamarine waters through smaller beech and ferns

Marlborough Sounds

Punga on the hillside.

Queen Charlotte Trail is 71 kms long which we walked at an enjoyable pace over four days.  In my previous blog I had mentioned that a section of the QC track was closed because of the high fire danger.  However, rain in the Marlborough Sounds two nights before we commenced walking assured the powers that be, that it was safe enough to allow walkers and bikers to traverse the Kenepuru saddle section rather than the road.  How lucky we were.    

Punga Cove Resort.

John and Dave off for a swim to a buoy. Love this image

Any opportunity to wash and get the clothes dry!

Rain there may have been, but the trail was pretty dry and could well understand the need for caution. Nonetheless, I was exceedingly grateful to be walking this section.  Plenty of up’s that made me realize that I am definitely not TA fit, at least not yet , but to be walking the saddle on a gorgeous sunny day with glorious views to both Marlborough and Kenepuru Sounds was just wonderful.  My favourite though was walking under the tall mountain beech trees, with beech tree litter underfoot with glimpses of the aquamarine waters through the trees highlighted by the afternoon sun. To hear happy bird sounds, the constant high pitched cicada,  to walk with friends, to walk this undulating trail, to view pretty vista,  was to walk with a smile of gratitude for the moment.   

Kenepuru Head

Kenepuru Head

Dave & Nancy overlooking Kenepuru Sounds. Look at the color of the water!

View to Ruaka Bay, Marlborough Sounds. So many beautiful vbay vews

Nice walking through avenues of beech, birds (with Kerry’s help identified tui, bellbird, weka, Tom tit, robin, Finch (and others unknown) chirping and flitting happily in the trees and the ever constant chirping cicadas. 

Blackwood Bay, Marlborough Sounds

Preparing lunch….tuna, crackers, capsicum and a chance to boil the Billie for a cuppa in the shelter

Wekas would always appear when you stopped. Had to watch they didn’t steal your stuff, especially food.

Walking one of the many avenues. Welcoming lay shady

Marlborough Sounds from Kenepuru Saddle

The famous NZ Silver Fern. Green on top, silver underneath

Kenepuru Head

Pretty ferns line this avenue

Donald the Scottish North Bound TA trekker took our fancy with his yellow kilt and color coordinated backpack…plus he was running!!  He was happy to stop for a photo and a chat. We meet some very interesting people in our travels

After four days of beautiful friendship, sharing wine, beer some quite good food and days of happy conversation we said our goodbyes to Dave & Kerry, at Anakiwa, who travelled back to their life in the North Island.

We meanwhile pressed on with our TA trail.  From Anakiwa to Havelock meant negotiating the roads with fast moving traffic, passing interesting letterboxes, fields of disconcerted cows and the odd goat tied to a tether.  It was a relief when road turned to trail affording more beautiful views of Pelorus Sound.

Leaving Havelock early morn

Some of the many interesting letterboxes we passed

Tanya who runs the Green Coffee Van and backpackers in Anakiwa, at the end of our the Queen Charlotte Track. A very welcoming lady with good coffee and ice creams.

Relief to leave the busy highway to walk this walk/bike pathway into Havelock

View to Pelorus Sound

This style was sturdy! Many were not. 27 all up walking across 6kms of farmland on Dalton’s Track. So good to be off the roads.

Havelock to Pelorus Bridge was another day tramping roads, albeit minor roads with little traffic followed by 6 kms across farmland including climbing over 27 styles of varying stability, on Daltons track. Our tired feet, were most happy to reach Pelorus Cafe; road walking is hard work,

where we rested enjoying coffee and very nice home made pies, while waiting for the pre-booked intercity bus to Nelson for restock, taking future provisions to various locations and enjoying the hospitality of family and friends.

A selfie at the 100km mark! The powerline in the background holds significance to John. When he worked for the NZ electricity department back in the early 70’s he flew in a helicopter to photograph the line that runs from Blenheim to Stoke in Nelson over mountains and valleys. He remembers the thrill of that job.

Nelson is suffering drought and water restrictions are in place. Reticulation and hoses cannot be used. People, both privately and corporately are being encouraged to do all they can to conserve water. The fire danger is extreme.

Meanwhile, we walk on tomorrow, from Pelorus Bridge. We are very happy that John’s niece Bronwyn, will be tramping with us for a few days.