Ferry to Picton

Most of today was occupied with getting to the South Island on the ferry. We had to be at the terminal by 9:30 to queue up to get loaded.

We ended up being loaded into the rail car deck along with some freight cars.

This is a 3 hour voyage across the Cook Strait. This can be be a rough crossing in a north-west wind but luckily winds have been from the south and there was only a 1 m swell running today making for a comfortable ride. We bid farewell to Wellington and the North Island after 2,800 km and three weeks of touring.

The ferry was a bit dated (built in 1983) but fine for the short crossing.

The weather was overcast with low clouds which made the arrival at the South island not as scenic as it could be. To get to the port of Picton, we travelled about 25 km down Queen Charlotte sound which would have been brilliant on a sunny day. Still not too bad for scenery.

Once arriving, we found our B&B and checked in.

We were right at the harbour and the trail head for Victoria Domain. We walked past the marina and did an hour and half walk to Bob's Bay. Some nice sights and overlooks.

Following that, we returned to our B&B for a glass of wine with the owner. For supper, it felt like a good night for pizza and a beer/wine so we consulted Trip Advisor and found a nearby Irish pub that supposedly had good pizza.

A good pick which involved a walk through the harbour. This Picton Harbour has much nicer docks, boats and ambience than the Picton Harbour back home!

Looking forward to a good night's sleep after noisy Wellington. Most hotels in NZ do not have A/C so you end up sleeping with your windows / patio doors open and the fan on. Not so good when the bars empty at 3 am and the rowdies start scrapping in the street outside your hotel.

Walking tour of Wellington

We had a full day to spend walking the streets of Wellington. We started off with a quick trip to the cheap parking zone to drop the car for the day then had breakfast in our apartment. At around 10:30 we started out on our walking tour. The first stop was at Fidel's on Cuba St. for a latte. A real bohemian vibe and really good coffee. We met a local fellow on the waterfront yesterday who had recommended it as a local institution.

We walked down Cuba St., partly a pedestrian mall with lots of funky shops, cafes and bars.

Downtown Wellington is a mix of buildings from the early 1900's, and more modern hi-rise buildings.

I know Burger King has purchased the iconic Tim Hortons but it looks like they have also acquired the Bank of New Zealand!

We moved on to the classy shops on Lambton Quay.

We saw a Hush Puppies shoe store so went in to see if they were selling Greb shoes made in Kitchener Ontario. Didn't think so even though they are still using Dave Norman's dog as a trademark!

The cable car provided a nice alternative to the climb to the Botanical Gardens.

The downhill walk through the gardens was beautiful with themed areas ending at the Rose Garden and Begonia House.

Finishing the walk back down to the city we went through a cemetery which was bisected by the "freeway". Apparently 3,600 people had to be "relocated" in the 1960's.

This one tombstone caught my eye. If you look at the dates on it, it should give all of those anti-vaccination zealots something to think about.

We were near the Parliament buildings so decided to have a quick look. The visitor's gallery was not open so we opted not to do the tour. There are three main buildings, the "beehive", the library and the beautiful marble parliament building.

By now it was mid afternoon and time to re-hydrate. What better way than a local microbrewery. They even had beanbag chairs to relax in while enjoying your IPA.

A helpful bus shelter ad.

From here we went to Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum. A modern building with many interesting areas.

Heading to extract the car from the cheap parking area, we passed the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club and it looked like they were getting ready for Friday Race Night. We wandered in and I flashed my NOLSC membership card and it was good enough to get a drink while we watched the boats depart the harbour.

We got back to the apartment in time to change and have a short walk down the street to a nice Asian Fusion restaurant for supper.

Tomorrow morning it's on to the ferry and the start of our South Island tour.