The Queen Charlotte Track

It's "all go" at the Lochmara Lodge

We’ve reached our last opportunity to “tramp” on the South Island. The Queen Charlotte Track is renowned for providing unforgettable views of the Marlborough Sounds. Captain Cook visited here more than once and actually released the first sheep in NZ at Ship’s Cove, the northern most tip of the track. According to one plaque at Lochmara, they were intended to feed shipwrecked sailors. We wonder why he didn’t rescue them but perhaps he didn’t have room for them on the ship.

Following Pat and Ian’s recommendation we are spending three nights at Lochmara Lodge on Lochmara Bay, a short fifteen minute (water) taxi ride from Picton’s foreshore. The lodge ferry picks up passengers every day around lunch time, and we’ve booked a ride along with about twenty others. It is Saturday and when we arrive it’s all go at Lochmara Lodge. This is how I imagine a Butlin’s holiday camp in the UK. There is a hoard of little boys kayaking, swimming and leaping in and out of the water.  The Kiwi who greets us at the dock says this proves that children have no nerves because the water is NOT that warm! Just to the right of the dock a large group of adults is obviously enjoying a barbecue very much, judging from the noise and laughter.

Many of those who were on the boat with us disappear, perhaps they own cottages nearby, and we are left with one other couple and the greeter who shows us to our room. She explains about booking for dinner by 5 p.m., and how we can avail ourselves of massages and the private spa bathhouse if we book ahead. The other couple much younger than us, is here to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Duncan overheard the wife on the boat ask where they were going, so we guess it is a surprise. Lochmara Lodge, among many other things, bills itself as a romantic getaway!

Our room with large tiled bathroom, is spacious and affords a beautiful view of the sound. We can open the sliding doors fully and enjoy the breeze (if the weather warms up a bit of course). We’ve actually come to hike on the Queen Charlotte Track so we don’t mind all the activity though a bit of romance would be nice too.

The day is sunny so we lunch at a picnic table near the beach. Soon we are joined by all the little boys and I find myself wondering at the dearth of girls when it dawns on me that I am in the middle of a child’s birthday party. I catch on when one of the boys asks about a piñata.  So I guess these children aren’t really staying at the lodge. Aha!

After a delicious lunch of couscous and salmon salads, we don our hiking boots and are just heading for The Lookout, a hike of about 1 ½ hours, when the driver of the boat beseeches us to join him to feed the kakarikis (parrots). The lodge runs a wildlife recovery program and has two huge, and I mean huge, aviaries behind our room. Duncan wonders what time these parrots wake up in the morning. We enter by two sets of sliding doors and are urged to hold out our arms to encourage the birds to land. Duncan desists and opts to film me as I do so. It’s very special to see these beautiful native birds up so close and to watch them eat right from my hand. Then we switch roles and Duncan joins in the fun. When the mob from the barbecue arrives with libations in hand, they are encouraged to leave them at the door and enter the cages slowly. I see they are all wearing paper wristbands that identify them as daytrippers.  Aha. Now I’m beginning to understand the schedule at the Lochmara Lodge. We take this opportunity to depart or we figure we’ll never make it to The Lookout and be back in time for dinner at the prearranged time.

Hammock Heaven

After twenty minutes of following a number of trails to Crumpy’s Camp, Hammock Heaven, Glowworm Gulley and the Bee Hive, we finally find the Shoe Gate covered in old mouldy shoes, boots, slippers and flip flops (jandals) and exit onto a trail labeled “The 100 Acre Wood”. A staff member explained that whenever guests leave behind footwear and don’t ask to have it returned for the cost of the postage, they hang the abandoned item(s) on this fence. After walking about five minutes past the gate we find ourselves on a lovely peaceful, up and down trail through the dense forest with a few inspiring views of the bay. It takes an hour to reach the turnoff to the Queen Charlotte Track.  Another half hour brings us to the sign pointing toward The Lookout, and we huff and puff as we climb up numerous switchbacks to reach our destination.

Panoramic View of the Sounds

We made it!

When we arrive at the top, I collapse on my back on top of a picnic table before taking in the superb 360 degree view of the Sounds. We orient ourselves and see The Snout, where we hiked two days earlier among, other landmarks. The Interisland ferry is just approaching Picton too. It looks quite majestic out there in middle of Marlborough Sound. Duncan claims he is very happy he is enjoying the view rather than on the boat. We admire a Red Admiral Butterfly, the first butterfly we’ve seen on this trip. There are many species of moth in NZ but far fewer butterflies. We’re trying to get a photo of the elusive insect when a girl arrives, greets us and disappears. She’s the first person we’ve seen on the trail this afternoon.  Soon thereafter a Kiwi listening to an iPod JOGS up to the top of the hill. These Kiwis never cease to amaze me. I couldn’t jog up here even if I were forty years younger. Where do they get their energy? We leave him to enjoy the view and start down the hill. It took us two hours to get here, and we don’t want to miss  that dinner reservation. Two-thirds of the way down the hill, the jogging Kiwi passes us. I wave him down and ask him where he derives his get up and go. He takes out his earphones to explain that he is running late and knows he will be in trouble with his wife if he doesn’t hurry back. That explains his haste, I guess!

The return back to the lodge takes a mere 1 ½ hours, and the shower afterwards makes it all worthwhile. We enjoy our quiet candlelight dinner in the restaurant. The birthday party is over and the barbecue crowd has departed leaving Lochmara Lodge to the romantics. We are grateful.