Some solace for mountain
bikers still grappling with life without the Heaphy. The Queen Charlotte
Walkway in the Marlborough Sounds is another truly great multi day singletrack
ride which is still in-bounds for two wheeled travellers.
Here's
the scoop ...
Arguably the
best plan is to cruise the track over 3 days staying overnight in Punga
Cove and Portage. You could squeeze it into a weekend by using the camp
site a couple of hours beyond Punga Cove which has water and a cooking
shelter. Masochists may choose to blitz it in a single day but you'd have
to arrange an early boat to Ship Cove, and you'd be forced to wolf down
lunch at Punga Cove. Anyway here's the three-day version ...
Day
One: Ship Cove to Punga Cove (about 4 to 6 hours of cycling heaven)
Catch an early water
taxi from Picton to Ship Cove. Travel time is 1 to 2 hours. Cost is around
$30 plus a fiver for your bike. A good scam is to drop your packs off at
Resolution Bay on the way out - you cycle back that way an hour or two later.
A little arm-twisting should get to ferry your overnight gear about the
Sound for you also. It's benched single track through native bush, snaking
its way in and out of the inlets, all the way to Punga Cove. Don't be deterred
by the initial slog out of Ship Cove. After 20 minutes it transforms into
magic singletrack - although rain makes it a tad gnarly. Accommodation at
Punga Cove Resort is $15 per night (book in advance - there are only 8 beds
at this rate). Or you could choose to camp. There's a restaurant at Punga
Cove if you don't fancy lugging cookers and food with you.
Day
2: Punga Cove to Portage (2 to 4 scenic hours)
It's
a bit of a grunt up and along the ridge before dropping down to Portage.
A few years back, the good fairies at DOC created some new benched track
along this section which lets you cruise the tops. The foliage is second
generation scrub but the views into Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds
compensate. And the downhill into Portage is a snorting good time. Portage
has bunkrooms for $15 (book ahead) and a restaurant of sorts, or there's
a campsite nearby.
Day
3: Portage to Anakiwa (2 to 4 hours); Anakiwa to Picton (2 hours)
 Portage
to Te Mahia saddle starts with a gnarly hill climb but the payback is
two rip roaring downhills. From the saddle it's benched single track carving
its way down through the bush to Anakiwa. By the end you'll be wearing
a wicked grin and wanting to head back for another whirl. To unwind, it's
a scenic amble on the tarmac around Queen Charlotte Drive to Picton.
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