Start – Ship Cove
Finish – Camp Bay
Daily Distance – 25 km
TA Distance – 1758 km
Day 1 of the south island journey. To better savour the moment I started the day by hitting the snooze
button twice. It also allowed extra savouring of just how warm and comfortable sleeping in a real bed is.
Snooze indulgences aside, 07:00 found me arriving at Picton wharf to book passage on an 08:00 water
taxi sailing to Ship Cove. Fortunately Ship Cove and the Queen Charlotte Track are popular tourist spots,
so this was as easy as walking into an office and asking nicely. No necessity to haggle with bluff old sea
dogs with peg legs, beards that an albatross could call home and tall tales about mighty sea beasts that
make the passage a journey for only the bravest of hearts. Indeed, enquiring about any giant squid hazards
en route elicited nothing but a blank look from the lady at the booking desk and further confirmation that
service personnel the world over are not weighed down by such frivolous things as a sense of humour.
The taxi ride lasted a little over an hour and was highly enjoyable. Sitting in the sun and watching the
world pass by really is a nice change. This hour long ride will take me 3 days and 75km to retrace back to
civilization. All too soon we arrived at Ship Cove, where Captain Cook became the first European to set
foot in NZ, and it was time to walk again. To my regret I didn’t spend much time exploring the cove, but
my enthusiasm to get started rather ran away with me. It was a strange feeling to be following in the
footsteps of such eminent explorers from the past. My own journey is far less bold than setting sail for the
blank edges of the map, but it feels nevertheless like a fitting place to begin the second chapter of this
story. Initial impressions of the Queen Charlotte track are that it is as beautiful as I had been led to
believe. Busy with day hikers certainly, but I finally get the chance to pretend like I’m a pro hiker by
zooming up hills while they toil with their tiny rucksacks. I only stop to gasp for breath and have a long
drink once I’m out of sight of course! Us TA hikers have a reputation to uphold after all.
A great first day on the south island.
