Checking out of Kenepuru

The sun sets over Kenepuru Sound and after a wonderful ten days, it’s time to hit the road again and finish exploring the Marlborough Sounds.

We loved having the DOC Kenepuru Head campground to ourselves for most of the time we were there but when the long Labour weekend brought at least a dozen campers to the site it was great to have some company for a change. The campground is so large that there was plenty of space for everyone to spread themselves around.

After having fantastic weather all week the rain & wind arrived on the Sunday of the holiday weekend which was a shame for those that were in tents and/or had only come for a couple of days.

Of course our departure wouldn't be complete without a weka inviting himself in to say goodbye. He got a short shift!

I’m sure DOC thought we’d outstayed our welcome, they had to mow around our van (and in fact DOC have just mowed around our van once again here at our latest site, this is becoming a habit!)

Without any stops, and travelling slower through all the twists & turns with the 5th-wheeler on the back, made the 40km to the main road feel a very long way. We were heading to the DOC camp at Momorangi on Queen Charlotte Drive which is just 6-7kms on from the main road junction so it was good to know we didn't have too much of a journey ahead of us. Momorangi was on our radar because it had a small boat ramp & good access to the Sound without us having to worry about the tide. David was keen to see if the snapper had arrived.

Unfortunately our plans were foiled. We knew that Momorangi Camp was being upgraded over winter and that they hadn't quite finished them, but we didn't know that they actually have a long way to go to complete the changes. The Momorangi Campground is leased out and while its in a nice spot it’s more like your usual campground with all the facilities, it also has the main road running through the middle of it. After coming from the quiet and remote Kenepuru Head it was a bit of a shock to find such a busy site with earth moving machinery and workman everywhere along with sections of the campground roped off. So we made the decision to continue on to Picton and around to another DOC site at Whatamango Bay.

Queen Charlotte Drive is one hell of a road, it’s a narrow and winding (what’s new) scenic drive that links Picton with Havelock. Most sane people travel the extra distance and join the two towns by travelling via Blenheim, it’s longer but faster and the roads are fairly straight. Not us or overseas tourists, we want to see the sights. I think I saw a sign post flash past that said no vehicles over 9 metres. Too late. By the time it registered we were well past and we couldn't turn around to check. Oh well, we’re used to these roads by now.

The road was narrow, and it was very winding, and it climbed up a few hills but none of these faze us much any more. It was the amount of traffic coming the other way, and mostly driving down the centre of the road, that was the worry. I know it’s narrow but there is a centre line for a reason, and if you have to cross it, slow down and check nothing is coming the other way before proceeding. These cars just pressed on seeming to take no notice of the fact that we were approaching.

Once we got to the other end and stopped at the lookout over Picton wharf I realized that a lot of traffic would have come off the ferries that had recently berthed.

We stopped in Picton to top up the tanks with diesel & petrol(generator), fill the gas bottles, fill with fresh water & dump our black & grey water tanks- thankfully all at the one service station which was great. Next was the supermarket to replenish the fridge, freezer & pantry. We’d done really well with supplies and the only thing I ran out of was milk although I still had one carton of long-life milk left, and powdered milk if things became desperate (yuk). But it was nice to get fresh veges & fruit, bread & eggs and top up the supply cupboard as well. Oh, and the wine- just one bottle spare thanks to a few entertaining nights over Labour Weekend.

Finally we were back on the road and heading to Whatamango Bay another 10kms further on past Picton on narrow winding road (no surprise there!) The wind was picking up and storm clouds gathering by the time we pulled in and even though we set up camp down by the water we were tucked in behind some low bushes and around the corner from the main wind which was blasting down the bay.

Whatamango is another large site but it doesn’t quite have the same appeal as many of the other DOC camps that we’ve been to in the Sounds have. The tide was out when we arrived but by the look of it I think it must roll in here which just happens to be very near the front of our vehicles. It’s not a tidy looking bay, with lots of driftwood and debris scattered about and exposed mudflats.

I know the weather has a huge bearing on first impressions of a place but unfortunately this one isn’t doing it for us. Maybe we’ve just been spoilt too much with the sites we’ve already visited but we’re both not that impressed with this side of the Sounds. We were going to move onto to Whites Bay or Robin Hood Bay on the east coast after this stop but we’ve now decided we’re going to head to Nelson Lakes for the next couple of weeks. We’ll explore the east coast side another time, I think we’ve just had too much of the same scenery for now.

We might not be too impressed with the site but these couple of crazy ducks are even less impressed with us. They think we’ve brought intruders to their patch.

I thought, at first, that they were pecking the bugs off the bumpers but after half an hour of quacking, head bobbing and climbing over each other I went outside to have a look. They were attacking their reflection, silly crazy ducks. I think they were a little crazy anyway, they’re either brothers or two drakes in a relationship. They wander everywhere together, side by side, they play in the puddles and rest together, it is quite sweet how much affection they have for each other. But now they’re starting to annoy me (and David), they keep coming back and attacking the bumper. All day, they've been here and even when I chase them away, half an hour later they’re back again, quacking and dabbing at their reflections.

The mate of this female paradise duck spends half his time chasing them away too.

The forecast gale force winds and heavy rain arrived this morning but as I type the sun is back to shining although the wind is still strong- I spoke to soon, it’s now pouring again with strong gusts rocking the van. And as I predicted the tide came creeping around the corner this morning, stopping just short of the ute.

We’ll sit it out here tonight and then head to Blenheim tomorrow and onto the Lakes.

And in case you’re wondering why we don’t just move further afield, I’ll let you into a little secret. We’re booked to cross back over Cook Strait in mid November. But don’t panic. It’s just for a couple of months. Family is calling and the call is pretty loud. We’ve done good to last 12 months without seeing our North Island families but we’d really like to catch up with them soon. We’ll be in Tauranga late November & most of December and then Napier for Christmas & January, including going camping at the Tuki Tuki River like we should have two years ago (the two caravans have been replaced with motorhomes since then). Then we’ll cross back over late January and continue on our journey.

And once again this might be the last post for awhile, I'm not sure how reception will be at Nelson Lakes.

The End of the Road- Titirangi

Similar to the Pelorus arm of the Sounds there aren’t too many roads along the Kenepuru arm to explore either, although there are quite a few tiny settlements with a handful of houses and holiday homes. Just up the road from the campground is the one & only ‘major’ road junction, it’s 45kms from the beginning of the road and 25kms to the end at Titirangi Bay. Once again 25kms doesn’t sound like far but on these winding metal roads they seem to take forever and especially when you’re stopping regularly to explore and take photos.

The road at first runs through farmland up the Kenepuru Valley behind the head of  the bay before climbing sharply up to the top of Kenepuru Saddle. Our first stop is at the Punga Cove turn off which is also where the Queen Charlotte Track crosses & also meets the Kenepuru Road. The QC Track is a 71km 3-5 day walk that tracks along the ridge between Queen Charlotte Sound & Kenepuru Sound. Most of the accommodation and views of the bays & coves are out over Queen Charlotte Sound and this junction is one of only 2 or 3 that gives access to the Kenepuru side.

Twenty percent of the QC Track passes through privately owned land, especially at the beginning, and a Track Pass must be purchased before walking the track. The section from Punga Cove around Camp Bay & Endeavour Inlet and on to Ship Cove is Crown land and provides day walk options without having to buy a pass. Two vehicles arrived while we were stopped, their occupants heading off towards Camp Bay.

We drive the short distance down into Punga Cove and get our first view of Queen Charlotte Sound. The road leads directly into the Punga Cove Resort (very steep) and we can also see Mahana Lodge just across the point, both provide a range of accommodation options for track walkers. I always wonder what overseas visitors think when they arrive at a NZ ‘resort’. Images of golden sand beaches, beautiful swimming pools, swaying palms, luxury rooms, sun loungers & bronzed bodies come to mind when I think of resort. NZ resorts are quite a bit different.

We carry on along the road which continues to climb higher & higher. Through the trees and bush we catch tantalizing peeps of Queen Charlotte Sound but no wide open gaps where we can see the water far below. We both think that the ‘powers that be’ should at least include a couple of look outs along this section of the road (and in fact on the road in too). First it would stop people from parking their cars on the road in dangerous positions and secondly if you’ve driven all this way in from the main road it would be great to see something for your money!

Below was the one & only reasonably clear view of Endeavour Inlet we had and I had to stand on the back tray to get a little more height. Across the water to the right is the historic Furneaux Lodge, a popular place for boating holidaymakers to visit over summer. Exploring, as we are on our travels, has been great, I’m able to put names to places. I didn’t realise that the lodge and Endeavour Inlet were so far out in the Sound. Sadly this part of the Sounds will always be associated with disappearance (& murder) of a young couple on New Years Eve 1998.

The road ahead of us winds around the edge of Mt Stokes (1203m), there’s a 5 hour hike to the summit which seems rather excessive, this must be a minor peak. We won’t be doing that walk any time soon.

We stop a few more times when I catch sight of gaps caused by windfall ahead of us, some I can see over the top but most don’t have clear views. Even though the road has a lot of twists and turns we’re both surprised at how wide it is in places, especially this far down the arm. It feels like a four lane highway compared to some of the gravel back roads we’ve been on recently.

Through one gap we can see the road winding up the hill ahead of us and we think we might have to take the road to the right but in fact our road drops over the ridge at the junction with a farm track that cuts across to the right. And down below us we can see Melville Cove which is at the top end of Port Gore. We’re now in the outer sounds.

Further on and finally we break out of the bush and have a clear view across Port Gore to the long thin finger of land that is Cape Jackson, which points out to Cook Strait. The outer Queen Charlotte Track also finishes at the Cape.

Port Gore is the final resting place of the Mikhail Lermontov, a Soviet cruise ship that sunk in 1986. The ship in the care of the Marlborough Harbourmaster, & carrying 750 passengers & crew, hit rocks as it passed through a narrow passage between Cape Jackson & the old lighthouse. One person, an engineer, died as the hull was ripped open and there were also 11 injured people but passengers & crew were rescued before the ship sunk. The ship, badly listing, limped into Port Gore where it lost all power & got stuck on a sandbank. The incoming tide lifted it off the sandbank and the ship then sank, 5 hours after the initial impact.

Below is Melville Cove (Port Gore) with those ever present mussel farms blotting the seascape. This is taken from the the road junction with the farm track. We’re quite a height above the Cove, you can see the slope on the left is covered in ‘tiny’ punga ferns (tree ferns) which will give you a bit of perspective.

We’ve finally reached Titirangi, we’re heading down to the Farm Park for a picnic and to check out the camping site. At least this time we don’t have to stop and ask permission as we did in Bulwer. Titirangi Farm Park is crown land that is leased out. Again it looks like our road cuts around the edge of the hill when in fact it doesn’t, it drops down to the left just around the corner ahead of us and winds for 3 km all the way down into the bay.

The view down into Titirangi Bay is spectacular, some might recognise this photo as the one that appeared on TV One’s weather a few nights ago. This is looking north-west towards Pelorus Sound with some of the outer sound islands dotted across the horizon.

We stop near the bottom as the left hand side of the bay comes into view, I can see a little kiosk in the middle of a paddock and assume that’s where we’re headed.

There’s also lovely smooth expanse of inviting white sand on the beach, one of the very few sandy beaches in the Sounds.

On the other side of the small ridge, the road passes along the front of a large sheltered homestead and farm buildings, this is Waitui.

We head left to Titirangi opening the gate and driving down to the picnic table disturbing the resting & grazing sheep along the way. What a great place this would be to camp (except for the rather large sheep poo!), a fair way out and a tough road down to the bay but once you were here, paradise!

The ‘kiosk’ turns out to be the toilet/shower/kitchen/laundry block complete with a stock gate to keep the sheep out! Of course it’s basic (what do you expect for $5) but perfectly adequate. There are 4 narrow flushing loos on the other side, a shower to the left and tubs for everything else on this side.

And what would a picnic be in the Sounds without a weka making itself at home! Once again there were about half a dozen birds who quickly came over to see what we might have for them- in between chasing each other around the paddock. We’re now familiar with the habits of these birds and it didn’t take long for us to pick that one bird had chicks hidden in the undergrowth over the fence. She gathered up the pieces of bread I threw her, stuffing her bill full before running as fast as she could back along the fence line disappearing under the bottom wire and through a gap in the bushes. She must have had very young chicks as they didn’t make an appearance while we were there.

Another bird did the same but ran back across the paddock to some reeds, we could see two large chicks wandering about beside the stream and when I went over to see them one was more than happy to check me out. It’s sibling ran off and hid but this one kept coming closer until it’s parent squawked and must have told it to come away. It sauntered off down the sheep track in the general direction of the parent pecking at this and that, looking around and taking its time. Just your typical teenager.

After finishing our lunch & a walk along the beach we packed up and headed back to the turnoff for the long climb back out of the bay.

The road is steep and narrow and while it wouldn’t be so bad towing the 5th-wheeler in or driving a bigger rig, it would be a tough haul out of the bay when it came time to leave. Although we decided, if we did want to come here camping another time, it probably wouldn’t be wise towing anything down the road because of the narrow hairpin corners, many of which are hidden behind that first bend.

Once again we had a lovely afternoon exploring and while we’re enjoying the Kenepuru arm of the Sounds we both think the Pelorus side has superior views; perhaps that’s just because we couldn’t see them on this side.

Kenepuru Head, Marlborough Sounds

We’re now parked up at the DOC Kenepuru Head camping ground and have been here for the last few days. The weather has once again been spectacular, deep blue skies and hot sunny days and just one with a little rain. The forecast is good & we’ve decided to stay put over the coming holiday weekend when other camping spots around the Sounds & closer to Queen Charlotte Drive will be busy with holidaying families marking the beginning of summer.

The turn off to Kenepuru Sound is at Linkwater and has the now familiar sign board with all the relevant information needed before heading deep into the Sounds. It seemed rather odd that there isn’t a more inviting entrance to Kenepuru (and in fact the same for Pelorus). Personally I think the District Council could have made an extra effort here as a lot of tourists visit these areas. Still, there’s nothing quite like a smelly dairy farm to tell you you’re in NZ, & in the countryside, and life still does go on around these beautiful areas. The dairy shed was across the road from the sign board and a mucky race ran alongside both sides of the road.

I can’t post any photos of Kenepuru Sound as we travelled along the eastern side to the Head. That’s because there was absolutely no views of the water except a few peeks and glimpses here and there. The bush grew high on both sides of the road and other than letterboxes marking hidden driveways, houses with their magnificent water views, were hidden too.

Aside from the bush hiding the views, the road, all 45kms of it, was very, very winding and extremely narrow in places and took all David’s concentration. He couldn’t have stopped even if I had wanted him too. Back & forward we wound, out of one corner & into the next without a break. I told David I need a counter so I can keep a tally. I’m sure there must have been at least 100 bends for every 1km. I won’t tell you what he said but suffice to say he didn’t want two lots of clicking distracting him!

Our first chance to pull over was at Portage, 30 kms from the turnoff where we took the opportunity of having lunch sitting on the water’s edge overlooking a small bay and a big marina (although we did stop with our hazard lights on at Cowshed Bay to check out the DOC camp there- it was quite small & surrounded by bush).

Portage was little more than the Portage Resort and a few houses, nothing like I was expecting. I assume it’s a busy place in the summer when there are many people holidaying in the area & walking the Queen Charlotte Track which runs right along the ridge line which separates Kenepuru & Queen Charlotte Sounds. It’s also a low point in the range at Portage and you can drive over the top to Torea Bay which is on Queen Charlotte Sound. Water Taxis transporting walkers & visitors come and go from Torea Bay too.

Another 15kms further on and we finally reached Kenepuru Head and the DOC campground which has recently been upgraded. It now has flushing loos & cold showers. The grounds have been landscaped a little and separation ‘fingers’ planted so it’s a little more organised. It’s a large site and there’s another open space through the bush if the main side ever got overloaded. Although I can’t see that ever happening, it’s not like this is a good fishing spot or there’s lot’s to do locally. It’s just a lovely peaceful area to park up for awhile and enjoy the wildlife.

There were two other motorhomes here the first night we arrived, they left the next day and we’ve had the place to ourselves for the last four nights. Today two more motorhomes have arrived. How dare they! And I’m sure there will be more over the weekend.

The reason why it’s not good fishing is because we’re right at the head of the Sound and when the tide is out there’s a huge expanse of mud which runs from one side to the other and down the bay for a few hundred metres or so. No good for the dinghy even when the tide is in, David would manage to wheel it down to the water, climb in and before he knew it the water would be gone. The tide moves very fast around here. I think he needs a spear, I’m sure there would be flounder out there, but then I guess he’d get bogged down in the mud. This is the view (at high tide) out our kitchen window from the back of the van.

The birdlife around us is incredible, with the mudflats on one side & bush surrounding us there’s plenty to watch & listen to, especially the Bellbirds (Korimako). There are dozens of them. At high tide this Kingfisher (Kotare) & her fledgling chick sit in the tree outside our back window diving down into the water below. They are very wary and fly as soon as we open the door. I managed to take these through the tinted back window.

Kingfisher Fledgling 

I was up at 6am a few mornings ago, the dawn chorus was deafening and I thought I must record it on my phone. I recorded about a minute of it out the front on the grass before I moved towards the back of the van to check out the mudflats. I don’t know who was more startled but just as I got to the rear a flash of red caught my attention and a huge wild red deer took off past me galloping along the edge of the mud (do deer gallop?) heading back towards the head of the bay. It disappeared behind a few bushes further along the bank and around a slight corner. By the time I scrambled down the bank (in my fluffy dressing gown & crocs) and out far enough to see around the corner it had gone.

I picked up it’s tracks in the mud and thought I’d come back with my camera later to take a photo of the size of the print. It was HUGE and also the speed of the run as the back hoof print was right up there behind the front one. Unfortunately the tide had come in by the time I returned and the prints not as clean but you can still see the size, my fingertips are touching the mud.

I then followed the hoof prints along the edge and found out that where I thought it had run off into the bush it hadn’t, it had continued on along the edge for quite a distance. It was funny to see nice clean prints where it had walked in and the hurried and scuffed marks as it made it’s escape. It had exited the bay near a stream right up the top where there were also quite a number of other hoof marks, so I wonder if there was more than just the large deer I saw.

I wish I had of gone back inside and seen it from the back window, it would have carried on up the bay and I could have taken a photo. For the last few mornings I have been leaving the blind up at the back at night and checking at 6am. Just in case. But it hasn’t returned & is not likely to either. Oh well at least I saw it flash by. Another exciting sighting.

A resident flock of about 14 Royal Spoonbills (Kotuku ngutupapa) feeds on the mudflats at low tide, I can’t manage to get too close to them without getting bogged down in the mud, they do roost in a large macrocapa tree near the road but I have yet to get them there in the right light.

I tracked a wood pigeon (Kereru) through the bush along the water edge the other day and found this cute little bach tucked up in a clearing. A mown track wide enough for a small boat trailer led down to the water but I think they also wouldn’t be able to go fishing too much. I like the wide opening doors onto the tiny deck.

And of course camping in the Sounds wouldn't be complete without the comical & scavenging weka. We are parked in another weka family’s patch, this time just one adult and one large fledgling chick.

There are quite a number of weka in the camp ground but they each have their own patch and woe betold any that encroach into another’s territory. We’ve witnessed a few big scraps, they are very fast runners but it doesn’t help when it’s another weka chasing you! I just love the feather pattern, I can see why Maori used the gorgeous copper coloured feathers in their cloaks.

Sunset over Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough Sounds.