Queen Charlotte Track
Walk or bike for days through native forests with views across the Marlborough Sounds. Lighten your load and have your pack transferred between points.
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71kms - 3 to 5 days
The Queen Charlotte Track offers a spectacular journey through the Marlborough Sounds, from the historic Ship Cove through to Anakiwa in the Grove Arm. It passes through lush coastal forest, historic bays and along skyline ridges with unsurpassed views of Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sounds.
Most of the track is wide and well formed, and all major streams have been bridged. For walkers, boots and a good level of fitness are required. The 71-kilometre trip can be completed in three to five days, or you can access the track where it meets the road and walk for just a day or two.
The entire Queen Charlotte Track is open to mountain bikes from 1 March to 30 November each year. The ride takes about 13 hours. At other times of the year, mountain bikes are only allowed on the Kenepuru Saddle to Anakiwa section of the track, which is a little over 40 kilometres long.
There are seven Department of Conservation self-registration campsites on the track, each with toilets and a water supply but no cooking facilities. Private accommodation (tent sites, cabins, motels and hotels) is available right along the track.
Most people begin the walk from its northern end at Ship Cove. Water transport to the start can be organised from Picton, and commercial operators will carry your pack between your overnight stays.
More information
- Find accommodation for the Queen Charlotte Track
- Find out more from the official Queen Charlotte Track website
- Read about the Marlborough and Nelson regions