We love New Zealand! Mary was chatting with a charming older couple
in Picton and they invited us to stay with them in their Bach (New
Zealand for "shore side holiday home"). Later that day we were
enjoying local wine and the best meal we have eaten in months in their
glass fronted hill top home looking down on the marina and a
spectacular view down the sound where we would be camping for the next
week. It was tough for us to leave to catch the ferry to the trail
head the next day.

The Queen Charlotte track starts at Ships Cove, where Captain Cook
based his exploration of the S. Island and winds for 75 kilometers
along wind swept mountain ridges and down into deep blue bays and
fjords. The second day we had a real treat as we were dragging
ourselves along the the final stretch of what was turning into a 9
hour day of hiking and recognized another cruising family at anchor in
the bay below us. They have three kids and we were overjoyed to find
them waiting for us at the beach. They had just completed a month of
camping and knew exactly what we needed: cold drinks, dinner and
to spend the night on the boat in a real bed and away from the bugs.
Love Them! There is a trend developing here of people looking at us
and then asking if we need a break from camping for a day, hmmmm.

Highlights from the trek included having almost all of the ridge top
camp sites to ourselves, winds so strong we had to drag the kids along
one mountain side, and glow worms. Glow worms are the most amazing
little creatures, at night soft dirt banks along the streams are lit
with what looks like hundreds of tiny blue Christmas lights. The
bioluminescence is used to attract their prey and it is amazing
to see tiny light shows scattered about in the complete darkness
of the rainforest-like jungle.

We are booked on the Abel Tasman Great Walk along the coastline in the
Abel Tasman National Park starting tomorrow. This is reported to be a
beautiful and fairly easy walk through some of the S. Islands most
spectacular beach areas.