Te Araroa (day 38) - Wellington to Big Bay [QCT] / mile 1080

"If you want to run cool, you have to run on a heavy, heavy fuel." Mark Knopfler

Day of the jump from the North to South Island.

I've woke up at 3 in the morning to catch 6am ferry to Pickton, I got to the port just as Interislander's departures opened up. The travel between the islands took 3.5 hours. I had a 'full cooked breakfast' on board, which was basically English breakfast without baked beans. We docked in Pickton with short delay at about 10am. I collected the backpack and went to find my next ferry operator, E-Ko Tours.

E-Ko wasn't leaving until 1:30pm but in the email they asked to come and check if the drop off is happening as sometimes they would cancel it if there wasn't enough people. This cruise was going ahead. I sat down in El Cafe by the beach, ordered a coffee and what seemed to be the worst bacon and cheese toastie I have ever had, I ate it but it didn't make me feel any less hungry.
Boat left the port on time, it was not only a drop off at the Ship Cove where the TA begun but also a wildlife spotting tour. We have seen two seals, a bunch of seabirds (mainly shags) and an absolute highlight, five Hector's Dolphins, the smallest and rarest breed of these animals. There was about thirty living in the area, when we spotted them the tour captain asked us to wave our hands towards them as they were very receptive to it. It worked really well, dolphins came closer to the boat, and even swam right behind it at one point. Cute little things with top fin looking like Mickey Mouse's ear.
We arrived at the Ship Cove around 3pm, trail from here was overlapping with very popular Queen Charlotte Track for the next 80 kilometres. It meant that it was quite accessible and well maintained by the Doc. I decided to push past the campsite everyone stayed at and finished walking just before sunset.

When I was setting up the tent, support, metal frame has snapped, it happened to me once before so I tried to screw it back on but this time I could not fix it. At this point I heard a voice in the brush, I started poking it and out came a grey, chicken looking, flightless bird (I have to find out it's name). It wasn't scared of me, it started walking around broken tent poking it with it's beak. With it's 'help' I finally managed to screw all the elements back together and as a token of gratitude I gave the bird half a date. A big mistake.
Bird started to vocalise and after a minute it's whole family came out of the bushes, poking my gear and being a general nuisance. I managed to finally convince them to go away but it wasn't easy. In the meantime a shag sat down on one of the branches and was observing this entire scene.
It was one bizarre, entertaining day and a great introduction to the South Island.

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