After a little
detour north along nice Kapiti coast, we finally reached Wellington –
our gate to the South Island we heard so much praise of. Originally
we were booked in for a night ferry, but thanks to our last hosts we
knew that there was a good chance to get a place earlier by getting
into a standby list. So we thought we should try our luck and have a
look at the city while we wait. And, surprise: an hour later, Sammy
was parked in the belly of the ship and we were on our way. They seem
to have more room than expected in most ferries, so if you have the
time, it is worth just going there and take a chance to get the ferry
you want.
It's a very scenic
tour, three and a half hours on the sea, but never losing sight of
the land. The ship has everything you could possibly want,
restaurant, café lounge, an outside viewing deck and even private
cabins. We had a nice lunch (typical kiwi: fish & chips for Kay
and Nachos for me) on board and enjoyed the views while the ship made
its winding way through the Marlborough sounds. It was cloudy but
still beautiful, the water a shimmering blue in spite of the rain and
the hills illuminated by small rays of light.
The South Island
really feels much different from the North. More open. A bit wilder.
The green hills look the same from afar, but at a closer look, the
flora is another one: Less palm trees, more needle forest, less
'exotic' for us and more resembling Europe. The hills look just a
little bit steeper and with a clear view, there are always Mountains
to be seen in the distance.
Close to Picton,
where the ferry terminal is, we found a secluded little camp site at
the coast, at Robin Hood Bay. It revealed its full magic in the
morning, when the rain had stopped and the sun, still low in the
east, made the green of the hills and the blue of the ocean glow
bright.
Photos from Colonial Knob Walkway, Porirua (North Island):
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