Description
Introduction
Get a stage by stage description of walking or riding the track, and places to stay along the way.About the track
You can walk or ride the track in either direction, but it's best to start from Meretoto/Ship Cove.
If starting from Meretoto/Ship Cove, boat operators are available to carry your pack between accommodation places.
You can expect to encounter tight/blind corners, steep drops near the edge of the track, and slippery clay surfaces (especially in winter). You might also have to pass fallen trees or recent slips.
Sections of the track are on private land and a Queen Charlotte Track Land Cooperative (Q.C.T.L.C.) Pass is required to walk or ride the track in these sections which are between Kenepuru Saddle and Davies Bay near Anakiwa. Buy your pass.
Walking the track
The walking times mentioned below are only a guide and lean more towards a person with a slow walking speed. A day walker with a light day pack will take less time than a tramper with an overnight pack.
Mountain biking the track
Mountain biking is a great alternative to walking the Queen Charlotte Track.
Allow two to three days to ride the entire track, but sections of the track make good day rides, particularly between Meretoto/Ship Cove and Kenepuru Saddle (27 km) and between Mistletoe Bay and Anakiwa (12.5 km).
Approximate biking times:
- Meretoto/Ship Cove to Camp Bay: 5 hr, 26.5 km
- Camp Bay to Torea Saddle: 4 hr, 24.5 km
- Torea Saddle to Anakiwa: 4 hr, 20 km
If you are moderately fit and experienced at mountain biking, the track is very rideable. Certain sections are steep and challenging, especially when rain has rendered it slippery and muddy. You may prefer to avoid the ridge-top sections of the central part of the track by riding along Kenepuru Road between Kenepuru Saddle and Portage.
There are no facilities along the way for repairing bikes so make sure you have adequate tools and equipment and can complete your own repairs.
This is a shared-use track. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.
Meretoto/Ship Cove to Resolution Bay
Walk time: 2 hr
Distance: 4.5 km
There is no road to Meretoto/Ship Cove so you will need to arrange boat transport to start your walk there. Camping is not permitted at Meretoto/Ship Cove but there are toilet facilities. Most visitors to Meretoto/Ship Cove take time to explore the historic site and enjoy reading the interpretation panels around the site.
The track climbs away from the beach, passing through a largely unmodified forest, where the high canopy is complemented by a diverse understorey of shrubs and small trees. On the ridges higher up, beech trees dominate.
After 50 minutes walking, you will reach a lookout point at a saddle, where you will enjoy good views of both the inner and outer Queen Charlotte Sound. Beyond the saddle, the track drops into Resolution Bay, where there is a DOC campsite at Schoolhouse Bay and further along, private cabin accommodation.
Resolution Bay to (the head of) Endeavour Inlet
Walk time: 3 hr
Distance: 10.5 km
From Resolution Bay the track passes over a ridge and into Endeavour Inlet. It winds downward and follows the shoreline to the head of the inlet, where interpretation signs recall the antimony mining era. Hostel and motel accommodation are available on the way.
Endeavour Inlet to Camp Bay
Walk time: 4 hr
Distance: 11.5 km
From Endeavour Inlet the track stays near the shoreline and wanders through regenerating forest rich in small birds. It rounds Big Bay to Camp Bay where there is a DOC campsite and, a little further on, private accommodation. It is possible to bypass Camp Bay by using a direct track to Kenepuru Saddle.
Camp Bay to Torea Saddle
Walk time: 8 hr (3 hr to Bay of Many Coves campsite, 6 hr to Black Rock campsite)
Distance: 24.5 km
The track passes through private land in this section. Make sure you have your Q.C.L.T.C. Pass.
This is the longest and most arduous section of the journey. Most mountain bikers will need to push their bike in various places here. From the top of the ridge you will be well rewarded with magnificent panoramas of the Sounds.
Climb out of Camp Bay to Kenepuru Saddle and follow the ridge separating Queen Charlotte Sound from Kenepuru Sound. Above Bay of Many Coves and Kumutoto Bay are two DOC campsites, Bay of Many Coves and Black Rock.
Eventually the track descends to Torea Saddle between Portage and Torea Bay. There is a DOC campsite at Cowshed Bay and private accommodation in Portage Bay.
Torea Saddle to Mistletoe Bay
Walk time: 4 hr
Distance: 7.5 km
The track passes through private land in this section. Make sure you have your Q.C.L.T.C. Pass.
This part of the journey also follows the ridge line. Here gorse and manuka are prolific, sheltering shrubs and trees that will one day shade the way. A side walk leads to a lookout just before the descent to Te Mahia Saddle begins. At Mistletoe Bay there are private cabins and campsites. There is also private accommodation at Te Mahia Bay.
Mistletoe Bay to Anakiwa
Walk time: 4 hr
Distance: 12.5 km
The track passes through private land in this section. Make sure you have your Q.C.L.T.C. Pass.
Beginning on the road above Mistletoe Bay, this section follows old bridle paths high above the water. The track rounds an obvious point and descends to the DOC campsite at Umungata (Davies Bay). The final hour’s walking is on an easy path through mature beech forest to Anakiwa. At Anakiwa are a carpark, shelter, toilets and phone near the track end, and a public jetty opposite the Outward Bound school. Here you can catch a bus or a boat to Picton or to nearby accommodation.
Short walks
With such good access by road and/or sea, most sections of the track can be used for day walks. There are also several short side-trips along the way.
- At Meretoto/Ship Cove, you can take the Waterfall Track to a small waterfall in the forest (40 min return).
- At the head of Endeavour Inlet the Antimony Track leads up to a saddle and passes through an area that was extensively mined for antimony in the late 1880s (40 min return to the mine tailings, 2 hr to the saddle one way).
In Mistletoe Bay, the James Vogel Nature Track allows you to explore the forest behind the picnic and camping area (45 min return). The Peninsula Walk explores the peninsula between Mistletoe and Waterfall bays (30 min return).
Accommodation/camping
There are six DOC-managed campsites on the track, each with toilets and water supply. Some also have cooking shelters and picnic tables. There are no cooking facilities at the campsite. You will need to carry your own cooker and food with you.
Do not dispose of food scraps around the campsites. This causes pollution and attracts pests. There are no rubbish facilities at the campsites. Take your rubbish out with you.
Several private accommodation providers offer hostel, cabin, motel and hotel lodgings, and tent sites alongside or close to the track. Some private accommodation sites may not be signposted amd access tracks may be narrow, steep and slippery when wet. Make sure you get clear directions when you book.