What are the Sections of the Queen Charlotte Track?

The beautiful 70km long Queen Charlotte Track is broken up into five different sections, each with their own unique characteristics. Do you know them all?

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1. Ship Cove to Endeavour Inlet, 15 km

This section of the track will take most walkers around five hours. There is plenty to learn along the way so informative panels are provided to give context to the major areas of interest. The track immediately climbs away from the beach, passing through native forest inhabited by a variety of local flora and fauna. At this section's summit, walkers admire spectacular views over the inner and outer Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui before enjoying a gentle downward stretch into Resolution Bay, a place to rest with basic campsite facilities. From here, the track follows a well-graded old bridle path over a ridge and winding down along the shoreline of Endeavour Inlet where signs detail the antimony mining era.

2. Inlet to Camp Bay, 11.5 km

This section of the track will take around four hours, hugging the shoreline, making the most of spectacular views across Endeavour Inlet while benefiting from the shelter of regenerating forest and birdsong from the myriad native species at home here. After rounding Big Bay this section concludes at Camp Bay where there is a campsite and private accommodation at Mahana Lodge.

3. Camp Bay to Torea Saddle, 23 km

This section presents the most challenging terrain and a full day of hiking however the rigours of the track are rewarded richly with breathtaking panoramas of the Sounds. A steep climb from Camp Bay to Kenepuru Saddle takes travellers to a ridge separating Queen Charlotte Sound from Kenepuru Sound. Rest stops are possible along with way with campsites overlooking the Bay of Many Coves and Kumutoto Bay providing basic facilities. The track descends to Torea Saddle between Portage and Torea Bay where a variety of accommodation options are available.

4. Saddle to Mistletoe Bay: 8 km

This relatively short section of track will take most walkers around four hours follows the ridgeline among gorse and mānuka. The track takes in a spectacular look out before descending towards Te Mahia Saddle.

5. Mistletoe Bay to Anakiwa: 12.5 km

A comfortable section of track, beginning high above the water, which should take around four hours. The track descends into Umungata Bay (Davies Bay) a nice place to pause before embarking on the final hour’s walking along an easy path through mature beech forest to the track's conclusion at Anakiwa.

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