G is for Golden Bay: road tripping South Island

The next phase of our road trip here on the South Island finds us staying at Pohana Beach on Golden Bay. We transitioned from Picton and headed west, the road follows the Queen Charlotte Sound, and then heads across to delightful Nelson where we found good coffee and pastries before venturing into new territory - Tasman Bay and Golden Bay. We drove impressive mountain passes as we passed the Abel Tasman National Park on our way north west.

Every now and again our accommodation totally delights and today was such a day. We have an ensuite cabin that is right on the beach with a magnificent seascape which stretches kilometres. We have landed well, took a gentle walk along the beach noticing the shells and sea lettuce, the Oystercatchers and Godwits and as always the ever changing colour of the sea.

View from our cabin across Pohana Beach out to Golden Bay.

Pohana Beach, Golden Bay,

Q is for Queen Charlotte Track: tramping day 4, Portage to Anakiwa

Veranda of Portage Hotel on Kenepuru Sound.

Having done the long day 3 of the QCT we then looked at the profile for day 4 and we all looked at each other, just a little afraid!

From Torea Bay and our hotel, Portage, the 20 km walk starts with a brutal climb, the highest point of the QCT - Shamrock Ridge at 407m. Goodness me, my legs ached, my chest was tight and we all grimly tramped to the top.

Final day, 71 km done!

Even though day 4 of the QCT was the toughest and by the time we walked into Anakiwa to meet our water taxi, we were very tired, the views seemed even more spectacular. The colours of the mountains and hills and sea are endlessly variable. The sea was pea green at times, or a crystal turquoise, or a cool blue and or even a steely grey.

We are all thrilled and proud to have challenged ourselves to this tramp in this most beautiful part of the Marlborough Sounds. Well done Shawni and Craig. And Fred as always, your help in carry our pack and steadying me on those crazy downhills is much appreciated.

"There is something about the pace of walking and the pace of thinking that goes together. Walking requires a certain amount of attention but it leaves great parts of the time open to thinking. I do believe once you get the blood flowing through the brain it does start working more creatively," says Geoff Nicholson, author of The Lost Art of Walking.

B is for Backpackers: giving it a try

Backpackers cabin with a view!

Neither Fred nor I backpacked as youngsters, so it is rather ironical for us to check into our single 'cells' at Punga Cove! It was a night that frustrated the gang but also made for lots of laughter after the fact. And my room had the most wonderful view.

Q is for Queen Charlotte Track: tramping day 3, Punga Cove to Portage Resort

Early morning along the Queen Charlotte Sound

Kenepuru Sound

This is the day everyone talks about, day 3, the long day, a day of walking the ridge between the Kerepuru and Queen Charlotte Sounds. Our destination was the Portage Resort.

But we had all day to walk the 25km. It was a magnificent day of walking, as my friend Natalie says, a day when you 'fall into your legs', and you love being on the path.

I had such a day, most probably my best ever one day of walking. Being with Fred, Shawni and Craig in such a beautiful place, with a warm and slightly overcast day, was very special. We took regular breaks, nibbled on all our trail snacks and took in the majesty of it all.

 I loved it.

Day 3 of 4, 52 km of 71km

Q is for Queen Charlotte Track: tramping day 2, Furneaux Lodge to Punga Cove

A gentle day, weather so good to us too, 12 km following the sweep of Endeavour Inlet.

We started the day slow, made sure our bags were ready for collection at 9am - the best way to walk the 4 days of the QCT is to organise a water taxi to fetch and then drop your bags each day at the next stop.

Marvelous! After enjoying a leisurely breakfast we ambled off, enjoying the ease of the walk and also mindful of the big days of tramping that come next. The green and yellow signboards mark your progress along the way and we would look out for the simple post, counting down the kilometres and today we passed the 51 kilometres to go...

Punga Cove, our second overnighter, was social, we had time for a swim and spa and then down to the Boatshed Bar right on the waters edge, yachties at the bar, a group of guys having their bachelor bash, and we chilled over a barbecue and a memorable huge serving of my first Kiwi Pavlova, which was absolutely delicious.

Day 2 of 4, 27km of 71km.

W is for Weka: cheeky birds along the QCT

Fred prepared sandwiches each day and at our lunch stops we would be entertained and/or harassed by the New Zealand South Island 'chicken', the Weka.
The birds are so used to people along the QCT that they live and breed around the rest stops. We saw some chicks too and the mother called them with a low hissing sound once she had foraged some food.

Q is for Queen Charlotte Track: tramping day 1, Ship Cove to Furneaux Lodge

The Queen Charlotte Track map - Ship Cove to Anakiwa.

The day started with a boat ride from Picton, South Island, along the Sound to Ship Cove, where Captain Cook had landed centuries ago. He made note of the bird calls and I immediately was struck by the loud cicadas and the clarity of the bell notes of the endemic Bellbird.

A beautiful place to start day 1 of our tramping along the Queen Charlotte Track. Months of anticipation and at last we had our feet on the path- a fierce uphill, the walk had started! It is a well formed track but you still need to pay attention to each step as the path winds up and over hills, along steep switchbacks and along stretches of contour, sometimes rocky other times leaf litter, through endemic forests and fern trees, along the water level and all the the time sweeping, majestic views of the Queen Charlotte Sound.

The first 15km was a joy to tramp and we checked into historic Furneaux Lodge, a remote, water only access resort. Drinks and wonderful burgers on the veranda with a special view and day 1 was under the belt.

We start - day 1 of 4, 15km of 71km.

K is for Kaikoura: seabird heaven

Out to sea from Kaikoura

The meds worked! I managed just fine for the few hours out to sea, the jet boat was fast and felt safe too, Tracy a fine skipper and bird guide. I did not need the binocs, even the birds on the wing were close enough to get a good sighting, like the Buller's Shearwater.

Much excitement for a new species on my world list, a Fairy Prion and for catching a glimpse of a Hutton's Shearwater, an endemic whose breeding is restricted to the mountains around Kaikoura, the Seaward's, and an increasingly endangered bird.

White-capped Mollymawk

S is for Salvin's: a mollymawk lifer

The great albatrosses tend to get all the attention, but I love the Lesser Albatrosses, called Mollymawks here in New Zealand. 

A lifer for me this morning was the Salvin's Mollymawk with the most beautiful grey head and neck and the most captivating eyes. What a bird!

N is for Nelly: the name for Giant Petrels in New Zealand.

Our pelagic trip with Albatross Encounters out of Kaikoura today was a birding fest, we had 19 species and these Northern Giant Petrels were numerous. They were quick to follow the boat and also quick to get onto the chum cage. They postured, tails fanned and held at 90 degrees, wings spread wide open, trying to make themselves look bigger and more aggressive. 

These birds are fierce!

A is for Albatross: an aggressor called Gibson's Wandering

Kaikoura calls itself the albatross capital of New Zealand with up to 10 species that have been seen from the pelagic trips. The advantage is that the deep Kaikoura Canyon where cold and warm currents meet and cause an upwelling of nutrient rich water, is only 15 minutes out to sea from Southbay. The food abundance creates a thriving seabird environment.

The first albatrosses of the morning were the Wandering Albatrosses, the Gibson's - Diomedea exults gibsoni - they were the aggressors at the chum fighting off the Northern Giant Petrels. A lifer and what a sighting.

A is for Albatross: a Royal beauty

"Wisdom begins with putting the right name on a thing" 

(Old Chinese Proverb)

This beauty has an appropriate name, a Southern Royal Albatross.

A pristine, elegant albatross, the pure white of the neck and head a stand out feature as is the fine black line along its large and hooked beak.

We were out to sea this morning, south of Kaikoura here on the South Island, New Zealand and the Royal stayed out of the feeding frenzy and maintained a 'royal' demeanour.

M is for Movies: Mayfair Theatre, Kaikoura

Booked for Trumbo.

The Mayfair  Theatre is a community owned and run, Art Deco 1930's gem here in Kaikoura, which still has its authentic pink and black paintwork. We have booked to see Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren in Trumbo. I have been 'collecting' the Oscar nominees before the awards evening, to date I have seen The Revenant and Joy.