Do you remember bushwalking? I remember bushwalking the old-fashioned way. Hard yakka, uphill and down, sweating it out with a pack made heavy by bundles of dank clothes, dried food, sleeping bag, tin mug and maybe a bottle of cheap red for the last night in the back of beyond.

Enthusiasm eventually wanes and proper tramping trips are replaced by the occasional day walk with a decent meal at the end of the line, a glass of good red wine and the comfort of your own bed. Some of us just go soft.

So imagine my delight in discovering there exists in New Zealand the ultimate trade-off between the great outdoors and the luxurious indoors.

It is the Freedom Walk through the unsurpassed beauty of the Queen Charlotte Track in the Marlborough Sounds at the tip of the South Island.

Why freedom? Well, you are ferried to the start of the four-day walk by boat. Your pack is transported by water taxi each day so you walk without extra weight. Lunch is cut for you. And best of all, you stay in a resort every night with clean beds, delicious cooked meals and a bar serving cold beer and great wines to revive a weary walker.

They could call this trekking package "the great outdoors for the discerning Traveller" or even "walkies for the middle-aged". Either way, it did not take much convincing to sign up a couple more like-minded "adventurers" and an 11 year old to run for bar snacks at the end of the day as my walking companions.

Some training is required if you are not used to bush walking. Despite the end of day comfort, you still have to tackle 71 kilometres of tramping through the bush, although for the most part the walk is on a well-formed track.

A few weekends of preparatory walks will put anyone of moderate fitness ahead of the game, and you'll be grinning in anticipation as a water taxi glides you from the township of Picton across the pristine water of Queen charlotte Sound to isolated Ship cove, jumping-off point for the track.

ship cove, near the head of this spectacular world of valleys drowned by the sea, was named by captain James cook who anchored his ship Endeavour here on January 15, 1770 . Queen Charlotte sound, known as Totaranul by Maori, was first visited by the great Polynesian explorer Kupe, and has a long history of Maori settlement.

Once you've landed at Ship Cove via the long stretch of wooden jetty jutting into the sounds and had your mandatory in the footsteps of Cook photograph, you're in for a demanding start to the 14 kilometres of walking for day one. The good news is you can wave goodbye to your packs for the day.

There are two steep bush-clad hills to climb on your way to Furneaux Lodge giving ample reason to stop, suck in much-needed air, then gasp at the drama of slopes clad in gorgeous New Zealand beech forest which plunge to the aquamarine of the water.

On hot, clear days, the bush crackles under the summer sun while walkers enjoy views across Cook Strait to the North Island before descending to Resolution bay then on to Endeavour Inlet and Furneaux Lodge where the boots finally come off.

Historic Furneaux Lodge does not disappoint with its grand old wood facade, restaurant, bar and generous grounds sweeping down to the sea.

Your sense of relaxation and glorious isolation is enhanced by the fact there are no roads to Furneaux. Our bags are waiting inside new luxury chalets with separate bedroom and living area and our own small gin and tonic deck.

Tired but still smiling, we turn in for the night and from comfy beds can hear the distinctive call of the more pork, New Zealand's small native owl, in the dark fringes of bush behind.

Rusty old gates, the remains of household orchards and roses left to ramble are reminders on day two of the Queen Charlotte Track that the head of Endeavour Inlet was once home to more than 300 people. The mines have long gone, lush bush has reclaimed farmland and the remaining dwellings are almost all holiday homes staring out at the water of the sounds.

This is a cruisy day's walk of 12.5 kilometres on a gentle coastal stretch of track with water close by and beautiful dappled light filtered by vibrant green plunga fern fronds overhead. Look out for birdlife such as the fat, lazy native wood pigeon, the kereru once prised for food by Maorie but now strictly protected.

All the accommodation is different along the track and while the chalets at Punga Cove Resort, your stop for the night, are certainly comfortable, the real attraction is the solar heated pool, spa and waterside bar serving delicious light meals. Try delectable local blue cod and, go on, a plate load of chips.

It's relaxing enough to make you banish all thoughts of any further walking, which is exactly what my companions did opting to jump on the water taxi the next day and cruise the easy way to our next night's accommodation, The Portage Resort.

Keen walkers will, however, relish the 24.5 kilometre challenge of steeper sections that reward with sweeping views of this unique wilderness as you ramble along the narrow ridge separating the waters of Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru sounds.

Much of the walk is along old colonial bridle tracks that were connected and widened to form the Queen Charlotte Track in the 1980's.

On day three, you traverse much private land that owners have opened up for walkers.

There has been a hotel on the shores of Portage Bay, Kenepuru Sound, for more than 100 years and through all that time it has been a welcome sight for travellers in the once-remote Marlborough Sounds, You'll share that sense of delight as you stumble in for a reviving swim in the Portage pool.

This restored resort, with a restaurant serving world-class Pacific Rim cuisine, modern chalet style rooms and options to go swimming, mountain biking and kayaking, is a perfect spot to pitch up for two nights’ rest and relaxation, if you opt for the option of extending your Freedom Walk with a day of rest.

The last day's walking is 20 kilometres starting with a challenging climb to the highest point on the track at 400 metres

Your reward is unsurpassed views over the sounds and the privilege to walk through stretches of spectacular virgin native bush.

Its worth savouring for soon enough the harbour at anakiwa arrives, and with it your water taxi back to Picton and the end of an adventure completed in considerable style.

Getting there: Air New Zealand has regular flights from Auckland to Blenheim, which is a 30-minute shuttle ride from Picton. Sounds Air has regular flights from wellington to Picton.

There are daily ferries to and from Wellington on the Interislander.

Freedom Walk: This is run by the Marlborough sounds Adventure company email adventuremarlboroughsounds.co.nz

Cost: Four days and three nights walking on the Queen Charlotte Track including water taxis, standard accommodation, and a packed lunch daily is $485 (share twin Aust)

When to go: The warmest months are December, January and February, and the coldest June, July and August. In summer, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20 degrees and 30 degrees and in winter between 10 and 15 degrees.