The Nydia Track stretches 27km from Duncan Bay at the end of Tennyson inlet to Kaiuma Bay in Pelorus Sound and is often described as a shorter alternative to the famous multi-day Queen Charlotte Track.

After hiking both tracks, I don’t believe either to be an alternative for the other, as they’re distinctly different and both worth hiking, but for different reasons.

The Queen Charlotte Track hugs the shoreline closely, with brilliant views of the Sounds at all times, while the Nydia Track stays mostly in beautiful coastal and beech forest as it traverses two saddles – Nydia and Kaiuma – and allows only occasional glimpses of the sea through the thick foliage or when the track drops down into one of the bays.

The latter makes for a more interesting hiking experience in a less developed area of the Sounds however, following historic bridle paths up and down the hilly sections and crossing over several streams that we balanced across on rocks and a small tree trunk half-submerged in the shallow water.

It was a wet, cold day in January when our shuttle driver dropped us off at the trailhead in Duncan Bay and we set out on the flat opening stretch through a lavish coastal forest at a brisk pace, to warm up. Wafts of mist were tangled up hopelessly in the beech treetops, the sun soon giving up its futile efforts to penetrate the heavy cloud layer and it began to drizzle. For once I didn’t mind the bad weather though.

The Sounds are beautiful in sunshine, but equally so when thick fog and an eerie, mysterious silence hangs low over Tennyson inlet. After 2.5km on the flat, the trail started a steady climb to Nydia Saddle at 347m that was almost completely enclosed by dense greenery.

Hoping for some better views of Tennyson Inlet from a slightly more elevated position, we followed where countless others had walked before us, along the trodden path to the right and climbed the well-worn lower branches of a tree. This little scramble was fun but didn’t offer better views.

From this first saddle, the trail descends gradually into Nydia Bay in Pelorus Sound where On The Track Lodge offers unique accommodation at the halfway mark. Hikers walking the Nydia Track in two days can stay in a vintage train carriage, Mongolian style yurt, a small chalet, or seaside cabin and enjoy dinner and breakfast at the lodge.

Day hikers are also welcome and we stopped for cold drinks and complimentary directions to a lookout point up a rocky path to the left of Kaiuma Saddle at 387m.

We were there about an hour later, and more hopeful than before at Nydia Saddle, scrambled up that rocky spur as told.

Luckily, the clouds had cleared enough by then to allow beautiful views of forested hills and Marlborough’s highest mountain, Tapuae-oUenuku (2885 metres), in the distant Inland Kaikoura ranges.

From Kaiuma Saddle, there’s just one more hill to climb before the downhill homestretch through commercial plantation forest to Kaiuma Bay.