Queen Charlotte Track | |
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![]() Te Mahia Bay, a typical view from Queen Charlotte Track | |
Length | 71 km (44 mi) |
Location | Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand |
Designation | Walking Track and "Great Rides" Cycle Trail |
Trailheads | Ship Cove, Anakiwa |
Use | Tramping, cycling |
Highest point | Ridgeline near Bay of Many Coves 470 m (1,540 ft) |
Lowest point | 0 m (0 ft) |
Difficulty | Easy (walking), Grade 3–4 (mountain biking) |
Season | All year |
Sights | Sounds, sandy beaches, lush coastal native bush |
Hazards | None |
Surface | Dirt |
Website | www |
The Queen Charlotte Track is a 71 km (44 mi) long New Zealand walking track between Queen Charlotte Sound and Kenepuru Sound in the Marlborough Sounds. It extends from Meretoto / Ship Cove in the north to Anakiwa in the south. For most parts, the track leads through native bush along the ridgeline of hills between the sounds, offering good views either side.
From early 2013 on, the Queen Charlotte Track also has become one of the New Zealand Cycle Trails, accessible for mountain bike-level riders. [1]
The track is maintained by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) and is well formed and easy to follow. It is one of the most popular tramping tracks in New Zealand, and is also open to mountain biking all year round except for the section from Meretoto / Ship Cove to Kenepuru Saddle, which is closed for mountain biking from December to February.
The walking track leads over mainly clay soil, with bridges over all major streams, and reaches from sea level to 470m high. It is not a difficult track, however, it is a long track, with the section between Camp Bay and Torea Saddle over 23 km long. The entire one-way trip can be completed in 3–5 days by foot, or 13 hours by bike (typically split over two days). Queen Charlotte Track is also popular for day walks, with boat transfer access at Meretoto / Ship Cove, Resolution Bay, Panaruawhiti / Endeavour Inlet, Camp Bay, Tōrea Moua / Tōrea Bay, Mistletoe Bay, and Anakiwa. Boat transport is available from and to Picton. Road access was previously possible until August 2022 storms damaged the road [2] with access points at Camp Bay, Torea Saddle, Te Mahia Saddle, and Anakiwa.
Queen Charlotte Track passes several Department of Conservation campsites, as well as private accommodations, as it crosses private land on some sections. Side tracks lead to Miritū Bay / Bay of Many Coves and Lochmara Bay. Adults walking or biking the track require a Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative (Q.C.T.L.C.) Pass on Q.C.T.L.C. private land between Kenepuru Saddle and just past Mistletoe Bay. The fee contributes to track maintenance, enhancement and access.
Point | Coordinates (links to map & photo sources) | Notes |
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Meretoto / Ship Cove | 41°05′41″S174°14′04″E / 41.0946°S 174.2345°E | |
Resolution Bay | 41°06′53″S174°13′04″E / 41.1148°S 174.2178°E | |
Endeavour Inlet | 41°06′09″S174°11′03″E / 41.1025°S 174.1842°E | |
Camp Bay/Kenepuru Saddle | 41°07′47″S174°08′33″E / 41.1296°S 174.1426°E | |
Tōrea Saddle/Portage Bay | 41°12′19″S174°01′58″E / 41.2053°S 174.0328°E | |
Mistletoe Bay/Te Mahia Saddle | 41°13′11″S173°58′16″E / 41.2196°S 173.971°E | |
Anakiwa | 41°15′52″S173°55′22″E / 41.2644°S 173.9227°E |
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. The Marlborough Sounds were created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels. According to Māori mythology, the sounds are the prows of the many sunken waka of Aoraki.
In New Zealand, long distance walking or hiking for at least one overnight stay is known as tramping. There are a number of walkways in New Zealand, however most of these are relatively short and can be walked in a day or less. Many are also an easy walk, with well formed footpaths. However, some tracks require an overnight stay either because of the rugged country or the length of the track.
Tory Channel is one of the drowned valleys that form the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand. Inter-island ferries normally use it as the principal channel between Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds.
The Heaphy Track is a popular tramping and mountain biking track in the north west of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located within the Kahurangi National Park and classified as one of New Zealand's ten Great Walks by the Department of Conservation. Named after Charles Heaphy, the track is 78.4 kilometres (48.7 mi) long and is usually walked in four or five days. The track is open for shared use with mountain bikers in the winter season from 1 May to 30 September each year. The southern end of the track is at Kōhaihai, north of Karamea on the northern West Coast, and the northern end is in the upper valley of the Aorere River, Golden Bay.
The Routeburn Track is a world-renowned, 32 km tramping (hiking) track found in the South Island of New Zealand. The track can be done in either direction, starting on the Queenstown side of the Southern Alps, at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu or on the Te Anau side, at the Divide, several kilometres from the Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound.
Pelorus Sound is the largest of the sounds which make up the Marlborough Sounds at the north of the South Island, New Zealand.
Kenepuru Sound is one of the larger of the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island of New Zealand. The drowned valley is an arm of Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere, it runs for 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the northeast to southwest, joining Pelorus Sound a quarter of the way down the latter's path to the Cook Strait.
Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui is the easternmost of the main sounds of the Marlborough Sounds, in New Zealand's South Island.
The New Zealand Great Walks are a set of popular tramping tracks developed and maintained by the Department of Conservation. They are New Zealand's premier tracks, through areas of some of the best scenery in the country, ranging from coastlines with beaches to dense rain forests and alpine terrain. The tracks are maintained to a high standard, making it easier for visitors to explore some of the most scenic parts of New Zealand's backcountry.
The St James Walkway is a 66 kilometres (41 mi)-long subalpine tramping track located in the Lewis Pass area of the South Island of New Zealand. It is administered by the Department of Conservation.
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is a 60 kilometres (37 mi) long walking track within the Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand. It extends from Mārahau in the south to Wainui in the north, with many side tracks. It is one of two main tracks through the park, the other being the Abel Tasman Inland Track, which stretches for 38 km between Tinline Bay and Torrent Bay off the main coastal track. The coastal track is well sheltered, and with mild weather in all seasons, it is accessible and open throughout the year.
The Abel Tasman Inland Track is a 38 km tramping track that runs through the centre of the Abel Tasman National Park and is maintained by the Department of Conservation. It diverts from the main Abel Tasman Coast Track between Tinline Bay and Torrent Bay. Although the coast track has the reputation of being New Zealand's most popular walking track, the inland track is a much less walked route, with regular back-country huts.
Craigieburn Forest Park is a protected area in the South Island of New Zealand, adjacent to Arthur's Pass National Park to the north.
Blumine Island / Ōruawairua is an island in the outer reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui, in the Marlborough Sounds at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island.
Meretoto / Ship Cove is a small bay in the Marlborough Region of New Zealand, renowned as the first place of prolonged contact between Māori and Europeans. It is located near the entrance of Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui, west of nearby Motuara Island and Long Island.
Anakiwa is a coastal residential village in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It sits at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui, one of the Marlborough Sounds, 23 km (14 mi) west of Picton and 18 km (11 mi) east of Havelock. At the 2018 census, the village had a usual resident population of 171.
Elaine Bay is a bay located in Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere, within the Marlborough Sounds at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. Elaine Bay is in the Tawhitinui Reach, which includes other bays such as Tennyson Inlet, Fitzroy Bay and Hallum Cove. The bay is accessed by the Elaine Bay Road, which connects with the Croisilles-French Pass Road at the top of the ridge.
Motuara Island is a scenic and historical reserve that lies at the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui. It is notable for the actions of James Cook. During HMS Endeavour's stay at nearby Meretoto / Ship Cove, Cook climbed to the summit of Motuara, and formally claimed it and the adjacent lands in the name of and for the use of the sovereign of the British Empire.
Lochmara Bay is a large bay in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, north of Picton. Until the 1860s it was officially known by the Māori name Pehautangia.
Endeavour Inlet is a large inlet of Queen Charlotte Sound, part of New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds. It lies north-east of Bay of Many Coves / Miritū Bay and south-west of Resolution Bay. The inlet is home to a number of retreats, including Furneaux Lodge and Punga Cove.