I started feeling strange shortly after I posted the last bit of writing on my blog. I was also about halfway through a cup of tea. I stopped the tea and drank a bunch of water then ate some food. I wasn’t experiencing vertigo but close to it. I think I cut it off just before it got going. I’m sure caffeine was the trigger and I think the food and water helped to quickly dilute the tea.
Au revoir caffeine. It was nice to know you. I’ll miss those uppity chatty coffee talks and bursts of creative inspiration but not when it sends me into the realm of vertigo. I’m sure my social life will suffer as if it hasn’t already. Will I have coffee and tea sometime again in the future? Likely? Yes. Soon? No.
By mid-morning I leveled out and got things together for a three night four day trip on the Queen Charlotte Track. It’s a point to point hike that extends from Ship Cove on the far end of Queen Charlotte sound to Anakiwa on the bay of Grove Arm near Picton. The path traverses hillside up over a small pass from Ship Cove to Endeavor Inlet to follow along water. From the inlet it runs mostly atop ridgeline with views to end at Anakiwa. All the way it parallels the sound.
I got a late start the first day as the afternoon water taxi took over an hour to get me to Ship Cove. Most of the track is only accessible by foot, mountain bike, or boat. The trail is fairly popular so a couple of different companies offer drop off and pickup service via boat with complimentary pack transfer. I arranged a pack transfer for the first and fourth day. I’d have to carry my pack for days two and three because of where I wanted to camp. There are a number of places to camp along the way but there are also lodges and so forth that offer backpacker accommodation.
Ship cove is most known for Captain Cook having spent time there on several occasions during his explorations. A monument has been built in honor of his time at the cove. The area itself remains much like how it would have looked during the times of Captain Cook minus the monument, picnic tables and information board. The land around the cove is saturated with thick green subtropical vegetation, palms, and ferns. The water is clear and clean.
From Ship cover it was a ten mile hike to a campsite on Endeavor Inlet offered by an individual named Tony. Tony spends seven months a year at his home on the inlet and does not leave the area during that time period. He grows tobacco, has his own still for alcohol, and makes hiking sticks out of a local hardwood that he sells for $10 NZD. He’s an extremely nice character who hand dug and built flat tent sites, a cooking area, and installed an outhouse that he keeps immaculately clean. He also has offers extras such chairs, hammocks and solar showers with access to a beach. I’d say it qualifies as a wonderful place to lose a day if one so wishes. I arrived early enough to set up camp and finish dinner before it got dark.
The next morning I awoke feeling pretty good at first but a spell of vertigo come on pretty fast and intense. It quickly eased up and I was able to fix breakfast. I figured eating was a good idea because I was hungry and not nauseous. I then retreated to a hammock and felt much better by mid-morning so I read my book and didn’t get started until noon.
By noon I was feeling fine and had a nice walk to Punga cove lodge where I stopped for a caffeine and alcohol free smoothie. Punga is another nice place to lose a few days. From there I hiked strong up to a ridge. A one point I took a side trail up to a peak for a spectacular view. The weather was absolutely perfect. After that I continued on to camp at department of conservation campsite where I camped with three people from France.
Around 4:30 am I was awakened by a bout of vertigo but was fine by time I got up at 7 am. I guess you can say that was convenient but I can’t say I felt rested. From the campsite I followed more ridgeline and planned to dip off the ridge to camp at Portage Bay on Kenepuru Sound opposite side of Queen Charlotte sound. I arrived at the campsite that was accessible by car and not too thrilled about it. It wasn’t bad but I knew there was backpacker accommodation nearby.
A short walk took me to a place with a nice clean room with shared kitchen and bath. What really got me was the spectacular verandah with stunning view. I paid $50 NZD which comes out to $33 USD and stayed the night. After a swim I spent the rest of the day reading a book about a guy who rode a small postal motorbike from Australia to England through some crazy countries like Afghanistan just a few years ago. I figure with vertigo I really need to make things a little easier for myself. That’s why I was taking four days to walk a trail I could have done in three days but why rush.
The weather turned on the 4th day and much of it was walked in light rain. I only had to carry a day pack as the owners of the accommodation offered a free pack shuttle to the complimentary water taxi transfer. Not a bad deal. I hiked well to Anakiwa and tacked on another side trip to a peak for a cloudy view. When I finished the hike I felt fine but I think my body had to adjust to not walking as I noticed my balance was off. I simply got off of my feet and things seem to recalibrate. I felt fine again after a shirt while. Fortunately, no vertigo. The boat ride back to Picton was nice. All in all, despite my vertigo issues it was good hike and absolutely beautiful.
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