Now I have a walking partner, such things are becoming possible. Add to that the water taxi operators who will take your bags from one accommodation to the next, and it makes for a three-day walk that is accessible to anyone who can walk 20 km in a day.
Meet Raewyn...
... and Jen.
Day One
The morning dawned cloudy but no rain. We took the 10 am water taxi out to Ship Cove and started walking about 11:20.
A couple of hills to start with, then pretty flat around Endeavour Inlet to our first pit stop: Punga Cove resort (backpacker units, of course - but we did get to use the spa!). Distance for day 1: 27 km, 7 hrs
Day Two
A sunny day, not much wind. This was the view from our rooms!
Fantastic views from the ridgeline.
Have a break, have a photo opportunity!
Jen feeding a weka
Admiring the view.
Pit stop for night 2: Portage (backpacker rooms again). Distance for day 2: 24 km, 7 hrs (51 km total)
Day Three
For something a little bit different, we had planned to break up the three days of walking with a day trip kayaking on the Kenepuru Sound.
Later in the afternoon the wind picked up so my camera had to be put away.
Day Four
Another fantastic day for the weather, but it was just as well we started early as the open sections of track got very hot later on. Still, we had great views!
Along the way there were markers telling us how far still to go - starting with '71 km'. They came approximately every 10-15 km, but towards the end we saw '11 km', then '6' km, then a most welcome '1 km'. Distance for day 4: 20 km, 6.5 hrs (71 km total)
I'll finish off there with one of my favourite shots from the walk: coming down the switchbacks towards Te Mahia saddle (Mistletoe Bay).
Next year... Abel Tasman perhaps?
