February 10, 2025
Picton to Picton via the Queen Charlotte Track.
Today I was up just after 6 and enjoyed breakfast with my hosts before heading for the Beachcomber boat at 7. The boat service is very nice winding its way through sheltered waters with shoreline visible on both sides. The boat is making several stops so I anticipate I won’t be riding until about 10 AM which will curtail the amount of riding I do today which is fine.
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On this section there are a couple of options. One involves really steep dirt climbs that turn to hike-a-bike. I’ve seen this on YT and for a slightly better view I gather it’s not worth it. I am opting for the easier road option that curves its way along the coast for great scenery and quick travel.
I’ve been really encouraged that my carpal tunnel injury from the Great Divide trip continues to heal while on the trip. I’ve been stretching both on and off the bike when I remember. On the other hand my battle against the poorly placed saddle pimples has gone awry. It will just be some discomfort but not a risk of infection as I treat them on the regular. Part of the experience I guess.
I jumped off the boat with about 25 hikers. I knew I should probably try and get ahead of them but I wanted to look at the white monument. I propped my bike up there and looked out into the inlet and immediately saw a big fin. I knew it was too big for dolphins which we saw on the crossing. Then an orca surfaced right in front of us. I’ve never seen one in the wild and it’s a rare event at home as well. They had to be within 30 m of the shore.
After that excitement I got started on the trail and it immediately starts climbing and continues climbing for 300 m. It’s a nice double wide track but there are quite a few big loose rocks to avoid. I was full of energy starting and I quickly passed a lot of hikers that recognized me from the boat. It wasn’t long before I was starting to get incredible views of the bay below. The water colour is stunning!
After stopping at the top briefly for photos I enjoyed the descent that took you right back down to sea level and then another climb that was the same elevation gain but easy by comparison. It placed you on a crest where you could scan both directions. The scenery was jaw dropping! Back home we have beautiful scenery. And on a lot of our hikes you need to really persevere to get the view. On the ride/hike you were continuously rewarded.
I continued on the Queen Charlotte track for about 3.5 hours and then took a break for lunch before getting off the track to avoid the worst hike-a-bike only sections. The next bit was all road and modest compared to other stuff I did on the North Island. I managed to find someone outside who would fill my water bottles which was great because I wasn’t seeing any streams at this point in my travels.
After doing about 25 km of road I was back on the track climbing again and starting to get views where I knew where Picton was but it seemed a million miles away because I had to go all the way around the bay.
I just kept moving and soon I was finished the Queen Charlotte track. The riding of the actual trail wasn’t as epic as the Timber Trail but the views were exceptional all day long. It was just one incredible vista after another. I’d do it multiple times.
After the track I just blasted the road as fast as possible to get back to Picton to stay with Robyn and Bruce again. I managed to get to town at 6:15, get more groceries and be back at their place before 7. So, I left at 7 and was back at 7 after a 12 hour adventure including a fantastic 1.5 hour boat cruise.
Highlights:
-boat cruise
-scenery on the Queen Charlotte track
-seeing Orcas and dolphins
-great weather all day (23-25 C)
Distance: 102 km and 2075 m elevation gain
Today's ride: 102 km (63 miles)
Total: 1,315 km (817 miles)
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