Queen Charlotte Track: Day 7 ~ Dec 28, # 16
8.26 mi / 13.3 km; Ascent 1,054 ft / 321 m, Descent 985 ft / 300 m
It was our last day on the track, before reuniting with all our gear to resume riding fully loaded, to our last pre-booked campsite at a local farm. From that point, our only plan was to stop over in the next town to resupply before heading to Nelson to continue on down the coast. Eager to leave the holiday-makers behind, we slipped away onto the Peninsula walking track to rejoin the road up to the saddle. As if by design, the last section of the QCT was rideable from the start, weaving along the hillside above Onahau Bay before gradually descending to follow the edges of the shoreline to Anakiwa.
High on the hillside, we spotted what looked like a recent slip in the distance, and found in less than a kilometer, we were riding through it. Another reminder, how impressive it is that all these Great Ride/Walking tracks have been maintained through slips, earthquakes and cyclones.
Onahua Bay on a perfect blue sky day
This was by far my most favorite section of trail. And it wasn’t just that we could ride without anticipating the next steep climb, it was the longer stretch of riding underneath a canopy of mature Beech forest, past sandstone walls, close enough to edge of the bay to look deep into the turquoise blue water below, this time, a constant reminder of Lake Crescent’s brilliant colors. For many the Nikau Palm is the icon of New Zealand, but for me, I am officially entranced by Beech trees in all their magnificence - from their regal stature, immense girth and far reaching branches to their tiny little leaves that cover the forest floor in a carpet of soggy-looking cornflakes.
Grove Arm viewpoint
It wasn’t long before we could start to see the outline of Anakiwa at the end of the bay and far beyond the mountain tops growing ever closer. The only down-side to a perfect day was that it was all over way too soon. In just 2.5 hours, we arrived at the end of the track at 12:30 pm and the water taxi was not due to arrive until some time after 4 pm.
Another “NZ Great Ride” in the memory books forever!
4 days riding, 55.1mi / 88.5km; Ascent 10,002 ft / 3,048.61 m, Descent 9903 ft / 3,018 m
Surprisingly, even though Anakiwa looked like a beach front mecca with a sizable marina, an Outward Bound Camp, a parking lot filled with cars, and the beach brimming with people enjoying a sun-filled day in the water - there was only a coffee cart to satisfy our post-ride cravings. We settled for ice cream bars and setup our chairs to wait. It was 5pm, before we were packed up to ride inland to our next camp.
In about 3 km, we arrived at Smiths Farm Holiday Park. To our delight this family-run campground knew their clientele well, being the first campsite after the QCT and on the Te Araroa hiking/biking route. It was the one and only time we were given hot muffins and towels at check-in, along with a bag of pellets to feed the pigs and goats.
We left the next morning for Havelock filled with gratitude for a year made of dreams, ready to welcome in another year of unplanned adventures around every corner!