25.1.2018: Warm-up for the Queen Charlotte Track

Today, a 3-hour walk is on my list - the Picton Snout Track. Most of the time it leads through the bush without any view, where the cicadas strain my eardrums and bounce off my head, shoulder, and chest several times. The walk goes up and down a lot, but at the first lookout point, this fact is forgiven and forgotten. The view from the Queen Charlotte View is simply wonderful. Even an Interislander ferry on its way to Wellington (North Island) is passing by. It's 40 minutes from here to Picton Snout Head, the end of the track. When I arrive, two ferries (Bluebridge and Interislander) even pass through Cook Strait. After storing the spectacular view in my long-term memory and taking the photos, it's time to go back.

Originally, the plan was to drive the extremely curvy road along the sea to Robinson Bay and after a city walk through Blenheim, return to Picton in the late afternoon. However, this plan ultimately fails due to the heat and unwillingness. By now, I have seen so much of the Marlborough Sounds that I honestly don't feel like doing the Queen Charlotte Track anymore. The bays, wooded islands, and intricate sea arms all look great, but after the third lookout point, they all look the same. If booking the track hadn't already cost me nearly 400 NZD, I would be very inclined to skip it and use the time differently.