We knew that our third day on the Queen Charlotte Track was going to be the longest and most difficult, but also the most scenic. We woke up to a beautiful clear summers day and after a quick breakfast we were off to start the big climb up from the bay to the ridge we would be walking along for most of the day.
Once we reached the ridgeline we were rewarded with views in every direction. For the first time on the track we were able to see over into neighbouring Kenepuru Sound. Despite being just the other side of the ridge, it had a different feel with flat grassy farmlands and more turquoise water.
We made our way up to Eatwells Lookout, the highest point on the track and were glad we made the steep climb up off the track to the viewpoint that enabled us to see all the way out to the end of Queen Charlotte Sound to the Cook Strait beyond.
The track continued along the ridge and through the occasional breaks in the dense bush we were able to get glimpses of both Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru Sound. We passed a number of the bays that we had visited on our sailing trip to the area and as we got closer to Portage Bay, our destination for the night, we were even able to make out Picton in the distance.
Eventually we started slowly making our way down from the ridge into Kenepuru Sound, now level with the landmarks that we had seen from the ridge, we new we were getting close to our destination for the night.
We dropped down into Portage Bay and followed the road for a short distance to our accommodation. This area of the Sounds suffered significant damage in the most recent winter storms and large portions of the road had been washed away. With the road still closed to vehicles, it meant that the bay was especially quiet, despite it being the high season.
We had dinner at the lodge and then wandered down to the waterfront to watch the sunset.
After a few games of cards on the deck of our room overlooking the bay, we decided to have an early night ready for our final day of walking.