Day 57 - Picton to Havelock

 After a stock up of some essential items at Fresh Choice we made our way out of town along Queen Charlotte Drive. A distance of 35 kilometres was going to be a great reintroduction to walking in the south. 

We were pleasantly surprised to find a dedicated walking trail going parallel to the road.It was known as the Te Ara Tuhono)which means the pathway (ara), that links or connects (tuhono).

The Queen Charlotte Drive had had a real beating from weather recently and there were a number of slips with one lane passes. The vista was amazing though and it is clear to see that plenty of effort is being made to make the shared cycle / walk path work. After all, make the trails - and the people will come!

Cyclists doing the Tour Aotearoa came past late afternoon. They called out cheerfully. Later that evening a few came up to us and said they took their hat off to what we were doing with walking NZ. You could see genuine admiration in their facial expressions , which was heartening for us. We wished them well with their cycling challenge.

Stormy conditions are scheduled for the next couple of days which will delay us from progressing into the Richmond Ranges.

Our campsite in Picton.

Leaving Picton along Queen Charlotte Drive. We stopped to watch the Interislander’Aratere’ load up.

Shakespeare Bay logging operations. 

Impressive boardwalks along the bay.

Stunning view back towards Picton in the distance. 

Looking out over the Marlborough Sounds.

A brief beach walk.

Havelock comes into view in the distance.

35km has been a solid days effort.