Riding the Sound

A few years ago I came to New Zealand for the first time, to walk the Queen Charlotte Track. My knees had given up after several arduous high altitude treks in Nepal, so to stop at a comfy hotel each night and have my baggage ferried between hotels was a nice change of pace.

Today I set out from Havelock for the short ride to Picton, and travelled along the Sound in the opposite direction, picking out the familiar bays and coves across the Sound as I went.

The air was quite cool as I set out, but there was a longish, steady ascent to warm me soon after leaving, with a nice view over Havelock at the top.

After a brief descent the road continued to wend its scenic way along the Sound.

Across the Sound is Anakiwa, at the end of the Queen Charlotte Walk.

And after some very sharp ups and downs I arrived at Picton, the port for the Cook Strait ferry services.

Getting off the bike on the Picton waterfront, I immediatelty felt a pain in my knee, and hastily took a room at the nearest backpacker lodge. I should have taken more care as it was a real dump, but at least I didn't have to walk (hobble) too far.

After a lazy afternoon watching ferries large and small come and go on the waterfront, I had a nice dinner and retired early to rest up the creaky knee.

Click here for a Doarama visualisation of the route.