A quick tramp in Picton

While waiting for my ferry crossing tomorrow and seeing the rain clear I decide to head out to the ‘Queen Charlotte viewing point’ on the Snout trail. This is an afternoon tramp which will take roughly 4 hours (2 hours each way) if you keep a steady pace… I begin by walking over the elegant harbour bridge (built to allow taller vessels through) and onto the Snout track. The start of which climbs steeply to look back on the harbour from a high vantage point revealing the hidden export area set aside for the logging industry and giving some perspective on the size of cruise liners as apposed to inter island ferries!! Be aware however, that the muddy track is slippery after rain.
The track is a mix of tarmac roads, gravelled tracks and muddy trails - I am glad to be wearing walking boots as even in these the occasional steep muddy slope leads to a slight slip (the light brown clay soil here is particularly sticky and gums up the souls of your boots very effectively!) Persisting onwards I soon find myself completely alone with no signs of another human being having set foot here today 0_0 the trail is pristine mud and around me alarm calls are raised by the birds, surprised at a visitor! Still I do get to see an amazing number of colourful ‘fan tails’ who seem to enjoy teasing me with fleeting glimpses not quite long enough to get a decent photo!!
After 1½ hours of walking I make it to the viewing point (with pit toilet for those caught short) and get a great panoramic view of Queen Charlotte Sound and the inter island ferry making its way into the harbour. But here my luck runs out and it begins to rain again… Oh well time to start making my way back.
On the return tramp I find a side trail to ‘Bob’s Bay’, so called after the fisherman ‘Bob’… No further details are provided on the information board but the little cove is tranquil apart from the occasional ferry passing by ;) The final leg of the trail leads around bluffs with near vertical drops to the shallow waters below, quite an experience on a slick and muddy trail ;) The Snout trail is well worth a hike if your in Picton for a day or so for its great views and avian life alone.