To South Island
Alarm set for 06:20 so inevitably got up at 06:15. Quick orange juice, coffee & cereal and left site at 06:50 for 20 min drive to port. On the quay in good time for 07:45 check in closure then another hour before departure. Sort of early at 8:45 but feels halfway through the morning.
Quite cool and overcast so feels much like a ferry to France out of Dover in May. Great open observation deck 10 with wide views as we left Auckland. VERY windy once out of harbour protection.. Sadly the crew came and spoiled our fun evicting us from deck 10 due to wind levels; In fairness, it was pretty windy. Headed down to deck 7 with outside space where they were locking off windward side doors as unusable. We spent a while enjoying the outside before heading inside for coffee.
As with everywhere, short staffing left us with a rubbish machine coffee; ironic considering the Kiwi's enthusiasm for great coffee.
Happily, the re-opened the observation decks as halfway through the crossing we left open water to negotiate the islands and inlets of the North end of South Island and approach to Picton.
I don't know why but arrival on South Island feels like a reset and start again and I'm looking forward to it. I think a lot of it was the exhaustion of the first few days following travel, time change and disappointment in the weather on the first full day of our motorhome journey.
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| ready to board at Wellngton |
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| cloudy start in Wellington bay |
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| very calm sea and maybe brighter ? |
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| passing out of Wellington bay |
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| windy |
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| our motorhome getting salty (outside row, dark rear window fully visible) |
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| South Island approach |
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| South Island looking distinctly Scottish |
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| observation deck view forward |
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| sister ship heading back to Wellington |
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| almost at Picton |
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| Picton approach |
The ferry crossing took 3hr 30min so the day is already moving on as we headed West along the North of the island on Queen Charlotte Drive. This was a beautiful winding road mixing coastal touches and inland climbs and bends. We stopped at a stunning spot adjacent to a beach for our lunch watching Sunday afternoon Kiwi's and their families enjoying water activities.
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| picnic stop |
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| picnic stop |
Queen Charlotte Drive was mainly a good road but had an alarming number of wash outs where parts of the road had simply collapsed towards the sea and cones took us to single file. Some looked as if they had been like that for years but many showed signs of road works to recover them.
We had to stop for a shop at Nelson and I was getting worried that site reception may close at 6. We arrived about 6:15and it wasn't closing till 8!
A great pitch 1 row back from the road with the beach visible between two vans on row 1. The beach at Kaiteriteri is absolutely stunning.
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| Kaiteriteri beach |
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self explanatory
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A brief walkaround before settling in found a burger joint which had gluten free buns and fried chips separately from battered items which meant I was in :) *
The burgers were slow cooked beef with cheese and relish and really lush. The portion of chips was massive even for the two of us but I stupidly carried on stuffing myself long after I should have stopped.
Neither of us got a good night's sleep. I think our stomachs have shrunk since leaving home and eating bits and were not used to rich food and so much.
* read day Tour Day1 post re celiac disease
Statistics: Miles today: 121 ; Miles so far: 885 ; Fuel added so far: 155.5 litres ; North Island & South Island; Time Zone: UTC +13 New Zealand Daylight Time (NZDT )
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