Our first day in Picton was an adventure with an early departure into the Sounds to Ship Cove. The cove is named after Captain James Cook who started exploring the area in 1770.
Our water taxi dropped us off to start our day hike of a portion of the Queen Charlotte Track. The total distance of the track is 71km and takes 3-5 days, there is a mountain biking option as well. There are many options for accommodations along the way, with water taxis delivering your gear if you wish. Our walk from Ship Cove to Endeavour Inlet was approximately 15km, taking us about 3 1/2 hours to complete. We arrived at Furneaux Lodge in time for a cold drink and an ocean swim. The scenery is amazing and the path is fairly sheltered. Our water taxi arrived on time and we finished delivering the mail to locals on the way back.
We explored the Queen Charlotte scenic drive between Picton and Havelock, surprisingly very curvy, and decided to head to wine country the next day just 30 minutes south in Blenheim. Our first stop was the Yealands vineyard. The owner has focused on sustainability over the years and the numbers are impressive for CO2, waste and other reductions as well as electricity use etc... He introduced “babydoll” sheep to the vineyard to help maintain the grass but the breed ensures that they can’t eat the grapes. Other farm animals, like chickens, help with eating the grubs and fertilizing the soil along with compost materials. Everything that can be repurposed has a function and they are currently exploring how to make their vine posts environmentally friendly. Oh ... and did I mention they make really good wine!
While we were in Blenheim we decided on a bike ride to explore the winery road taking us to some new and familiar labels...the day was full sun and 34 degrees! Lots of water and a bit of wine!
Our next stop is Nelson and exploring Abel Tasman...stay tuned!