Our dead-end road leads to a coastal path, but high tide had other plans for us. We detoured a few blocks over to pick up the trail through parks and urban stretches. A few miles later, we looped back to the start via train and bus.
Category: Living
Tracking down a supplier for the daily fix
Our rental only has a pod machine, so today we went searching for a pour-over cone, our preferred way to brew. It turns out pour-overs aren’t really a “thing” here, so we pivoted to a French press. Tracking one down required a fruitless trip downtown followed by a trek into suburbia, but we finally snagged one at a big-box store. Between Google Maps, tap-to-pay transit, and a fine lunch, it turned out to be an excellent day.
Scramble, chaps
Arrival of the inbound kite, a sturdy ATR 72 turboprop, for our wizard flight to Auckland from Marlborough Airport (BHE). Hoping for no flak (turbulence) en route. (Word choices inspired by Biggles, fictional WW1 and WW2 British pilot.)
The final stretch
The Cougar Line boat arrived to collect us for our return to Picton after the final section of our hike. It was another day of lovely wooded trails that sheltered us from the sun, offering views of coves, mossy rocks, and vegetation indigenous to New Zealand. Whenever we encountered other hikers, they were invariably in a good mood, and so were we.
The space between: between resorts, between sounds
Queen Charlotte Sound to our left and Kenepuru Sound to our right, the trail proceeds between the two, offering lovely views. Another hour or two of hiking and we’ll reach the Te Mahia Bay Resort, our comfy doss for the night.
Ridges, rocks, and a resort
Continued hiking the Queen Charlotte Track, passing lovely mossy rock walls and lush epiphytes. Ridges offered great views of the sounds on both sides, with enough climbing to make it feel like a true hike rather than a walk in the park. A beautiful day on the trail, interrupted by a comfortable resort hotel for the night.
A study in grey
The mist stayed with us for much of today’s hike, spritzing without soaking us as we walked a ridge. It invited us to focus inward, recalling the views from previous visits as the world around us faded in and out of view.
My little friends
Me, a sheep, and a flightless weka while en route to the next port for the night. I walked while Dwight took a boat, resting a gently twisted ankle that now seems ready for tomorrow’s hike.
Room with a view
As planned, we’re spending two nights at a comfortable lodge, relaxing. On a friend’s recommendation, today I bought ‘Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods,’ an unusual visual depiction of Tokyo far from the FOMO of the over-touristed world. I actually had to put it aside because it transported me to Japan too effectively; since I’m currently in New Zealand, I’ve returned to ‘The Luminaries,’ set in 19th-century New Zealand.
Return to the Queen Charlotte Track
A boat dropped us off at the spot where Captain James Cook first made landfall in New Zealand. This was Day 1 of our multi-day hike along the Queen Charlotte Track, marking our fourth time here. As these waterfalls show, we’re benefiting from the heavy rains that preceded our arrival.