48 hours in Picton

I am not working yet and had been going a little stir-crazy sitting around our flat all of the time.  Most days I go explore Wellington and some of the local attractions but last week I decided to travel some while I still have the freedom to do so on a whim.  As such, I left Ross in Wellington and went over to Picton for a couple days.

Picton is located at the north end of the South Island and is where ferries arrive from Wellington after crossing the Cook Strait.  It is approximately 3.5 hours via ferry from Wellington to Picton.  I took the Interislander Ferry (www.interislander.co.nz) but Bluebridge  (www.bluebridge.co.nz) is also an option.  Most people use Picton as a jumping off point to explore the South Island or hike the Queen Charlotte Track but I decided to just stay in Picton and save bigger trips that go further afield into the South Island until Ross can join me.

Heading into the Picton Ferry Terminal

Crossing Cook Strait can be extremely pleasant if the weather is decent.  A large portion of the crossing is in the sheltered waters of Queen Charlotte Sound and, to a lesser degree, Wellington Harbor.  However, the Strait is located in the Roaring Forties, a westerly wind belt, meaning that it can also be one of the world's roughest stretches of water.  Because it is also the only gap between the mountainous main islands, it often acts as a wind tunnel.  I made the mistake of going to the Wellington Museum (www.museumswellington.org.nz/wellington-museum/) the day before I left which has a whole section on all of the boats that have sunk in Cook Strait as well as the Wahine ferry disaster (www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/wahine-disaster).  Since I have a tendency to get seasick on any body of water, be it pond or ocean, I was slightly concerned but I ended up sleeping most of the way after taking some dramamine and using my sea-bands (www.sea-band.com/why-seaband/).

Cloudy skies in Queen Charlotte Sound

In Picton, I stayed at The Villa (www.thevilla.co.nz).  It is a cute backpacker that had free apple crumble every evening and toast with spreads for breakfast, though I think that these were both winter-only items.  There was also a fire pit, outdoor spa, and free bike rentals.

After checking in and dropping off my bag I wandered around the waterfront area of Picton and then did the Tirohanga Track.  This track is in the hills behind Picton and you get a great view out over Picton Harbor and up Queen Charlotte Sound from the Hilltop Viewpoint, which is well worth the 300m ascent.

Tirohanga Track

Overlooking Picton and Queen Charlotte Sound

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Picton Museum (www.pictonmuseum-newzealand.com).  This is a small, local museum that details the history of the area and the historic importance of whaling in the local community.

The next day I went on the Ship Cove Cruise with Beachcomber Cruises (www.beachcombercruises.co.nz) and it was very enjoyable.  We went out Queen Charlotte Sound, looking at wildlife along the way, and ended up in Ship Cove. Captain Cook anchored in this cove five times between 1770 and 1777 during his explorations of the Pacific.   On the way back to Picton we stopped by Furneaux Lodge and Punga Cove Resort in Endeavour Inlet to pick up and/or drop off luggage.   On the cruise we saw Bottlenose dolphins, Hector's dolphins, Little Blue Penguins, and Spotted Shags, along with a myriad of seagulls.

Morning light and mist by the harbor

Heading out of Picton

Spotted Shag

Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphins

Upon returning from the cruise, I hiked out the Snout Track via Bob's Bay.  Bob's Bay is a cute little secluded beach that looks like it would be great for summer picnics.  There is a pretty steep, but short hike from there up to the Harbor View parking area from where you can pick up the Snout track.  This path follows the ridge line out to the tip of a peninsula into Queen Charlotte Sound.  By the time that I made it back to Picton the sun was setting.

Bob's Bay

Looking out over Queen Charlotte Sound

Looking up Queen Charlotte Sound from the Snout 

Sunset over Queen Charlotte Sound

Sunset over Picton Harbor

The final morning that I was in Picton, I ended up finding a nice sunny spot by the harbor and reading.  Unfortunately the ferry back to Wellington was a rather rough ride so the trip didn't end on a high note but all in all, Picton is a cute town and has some really nice trails that are easily accessible.