Another early start, more down to my cautiousness of missing the ferry. Was on the road by 7am, and heading up the coast back to Picton. Once the traffic of Christchurch had cleared it was fairly plain sailing through very Yorkshire looking landscapes. They were lovely still. Wasn’t really any places to stop. Then all of a sudden, the sea appeared! I’m not sure if this is the Southern Ocean or the South Pacific, but I stopped for 5 minutes and enjoyed the peace. Water was really quite cold!
After that, I stopped briefly in a place called Blenheim, then carried on for another 20 minutes to Picton to drop off the car. I was sorry to see it go, it was old, had clearly been thrashed all over but it had served me well. Total milage was around 1150 miles all in all. Had a little wait for the shuttle bus to take me to the ferry terminal (but was pleased, as I’d made it having had a relaxing drive and not having to break the speed limit, too often). New Zealand driving is amazing. I suppose because there’s fewer cars, but people are considerate, if they’re in front and you’re going faster, they’ll pull in where there’s room and let you pass. There’s also signs saying traffic, merge like a zip and no engine breaking through the town. I was listening to local radio and had to stop because I was laughing so much. An advert came on for decking, but with the accent, it’s not pronounced like that. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAgiOwnV3yI for what I mean, however the radio advert sounded far worse!
Once on board, I settled down for the journey. The sun was out and the light hits the sea making it a really nice colour. Again, I don’t think the photos have done it justice but was pleasant with the sea breeze and the sunshine. Was sorry to see the south island go, it was truly lovely, also made me want to explore the north island more!
Crossing was fairly calm again, just a bit of rolling. After we docked, it was a brief stroll down the quayside to my hotel for the night. Went out to get some dinner after checking in and had a sit by the harbour as the light faded and it was lovely and quiet. Going to go back tomorrow as I’ve a few hours to fill. Seen pretty much all of central Wellington and it’s a bit difficult with a suitcase. Sunshine is forecast, so a cup of tea and watching the world go by it is! Think that just about completes this unless I see anything particularly noteworthy tomorrow. Next stop, home, via Australia, Thailand and Dubai! Time to plan the next one…