Te Araroa 13/12/25

Day 83, Davies Bay campsite to Havelock (1831)

There was a bit of rain last night but clear skies in the morning. However the campsite is surrounded by trees and the sun didn't rise high enough to dry the tent before I left.

Sunny but not at the campsite 

The Queen Charlotte Track ends a short distance on at Anakawa and there is then a path that runs alongside the road through dairy farming country to Linkwood where there is a filling station with a broken coffee machine, it had ice-cream though.

Track to Anakawa 

Anakawa 

The path then comes to the Mahakapiwa Arm, an inlet from the Pelorus Sound, and follows that before climbing the hillside above the road to a good bush path that goes round the headland.

Cattle country 

The Mahakapiwa Arm

Havelock soon came into view, a small town with a big marina, and the path came down to the road before taking a boardwalk over the marshes to the centre of the town.

An interesting water feature, part of the stream actually runs through the roots to come out here

Havelock

Not much here but there was a supermarket to let me stock up with ten days supplies for the next section.

Boardwalk over the marshes 

A nice bed in a cabin before I head for the hills and plenty to eat!

There was a little museum which had this little Barclay saddle tank loco outside 

I ate at The Mussel Pot so I could get the experience of eating green lipped mussels at the heart of the production area in the Marlborough Sounds.

There is another connection as well; the mussel spat is all collected from Ninety Mile Beach and brought here to grow. I have followed the track of the green lipped mussel!