We left Havelock (a place with a small centre and a very large marina) this morning and started driving along the Queen Charlotte Drive towards Picton. First stop was by the turn off towards Anakiwa, where we booked a kayak and walking trip for tomorrow. We then drove back to Linkwater, and took the narrow windy road towards Kenepuru. It was a road with wonderful views, but so many twists and turns that driving was very tiring. We got as far as Cowshead Bay, then stopped at the Portage Hotel for a coffee and coke. We had a recommendation for a place to have a picnic just beyond there, where a very thin isthmus connected two bits of land, so we made a picnic lunch and set off. Sadly the guide had failed to mention that the beach was only there at low tide, and we had arrived at high tide!
So we backtracked to the hotel, but this time used the public car park next to them, had our lunch there and enjoyed a rest in the sun.
We then drove back towards Mistletoe Bay, where the Queen Charlotte Track (a three or four day walking track from Ship Cove to Anakiwa) meets with the road. A steep walk north from there took us to the Hilltop Lookout.
This was a fabulous spot where we could see both the Kenepuru Sound and the Queen Charlotte Sound, and had views over a complete 360 degrees. We could even see the isthmus where we had tried to have lunch, now with a beach!
One of the features on the way up was the incredible noise from the cicadas! We had heard them before in many places, but never so deafeningly loud. And they were easy to see, sometimes as many as 10 visible on a single tree. In fact, we keep getting dive bombed by them, and these were quite large bugs (they are over an inch long, not counting the wings).
Mick was somewhat amused by the toilet by the track, which stated that it had been provided for the hiker's convenience, and thanked people for their donations!
We are parked for the night at a freedom site at the side of the road, looking out over Kenepuru Sound. The sun is setting and the wine is on the table - what could be a better end to the day!
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