We were woken during the evening by strong gusts of wind racing through the tree tops and rattling the tin roof of our accommodation at Lochmara Lodge. The skies were overcast at dawn and showed little improvement as the day progressed. A final call was made after breakfast and all the wet weather gear was called on before we set off for our final day of walking on the Queen Charlotte Track.
We set off in steady rain as we closed the final gate to the Lodge behind us and commenced the 1 hour ascent back to the Queen Charlotte Track proper. Squalls of rain were pushed along by gusts of wind over the hilltops and into the valley we were departing. If the rain didn’t get you, the water blown from the wet foliage would. On rejoining the track we commenced yet another demanding ascent over one saddle and into the next valley, following the contours of the hills where ever possible to keep the track gradient as flat as possible.
Squalls of rain would blow over us from the south-west, while dense mist came and went with the gusty conditions. Fortunately the clouds were higher than the track and we were able to get a sense of where we were and what the scenery was like. Two large wild goats were as surprised to see us, as we were them. They bolted back into the dense undergrowth and were never seen or heard again. Maybe their haste to get away was due to the prevalence of hunting as a local pastime! A natural shelter of intertwined trees forming a dense arch over the track served as a place to stop for lunch. It kept much of the rain out as we hurriedly consumed the packed lunches provided by Lochmara Lodge.
Eventually we descended to a gravel road and a sign that indicated we had 11 kms to go to the finish of the track. The track was now on a gradual descent to the water’s edge, winding through fern gullies and around headlands. A small beach and flat, grassy area beside a creek draining into the sound served as a brief stopping point for afternoon tea. Some ducks joined us in the hope they might get to share what we were eating. The rain had eased and the occasional burst of sunlight would cut through the clouds. The final hour seemed to take longer than expected. On reaching the 1 km sign to the end we knew it was nearly all over; although the last kilometre seemed to longer than the others we had covered along the Queen Charlotte Track.
The small township of Anakiwa appeared through a clearing, together with a jetty and a now-immobile caravan painted green from which a man served coffee and snacks to passersby. It seemed his timetable was geared to people being picked up by water taxi at the end of the track, and he capitalised on this influx of potential customers.
We had completed the walk for the day with time to spare. Our water taxi arrived ahead of time and we climbed aboard while watching participants in an Outward Bound course climb from a minibus, strip off to their underwear, then run down the jetty and jump into the icy waters of the sound. We were not in any way inclined to join in, given how cold the waters were.
In about 20 minutes were back in Picton and tied up at the jetty we departed from 5 days ago; with a little less spring in our steps, somewhat damper, and in need of a shower and change of clothes. The walk had been challenging, especially because there is hardly a flat bit of track from start to finish. The changeable weather was expected and we had gone prepared for anything (which we got on the final day). The accommodation and meals couldn’t be faulted and the views along the way were brilliant.
Back in Picton we found our rental car and proceeded to drive the 2 hours westwards to Nelson, where we eventually found the house we would be staying in for the next couple of days. Birthday celebrations for Wendy at Hopgood’s restaurant in town concluded the day – an exceptional meal that deserves high praise.
