November 13, Tuesday

November 13, Tuesday

I checked out of the Broadway Motel at 10am and did a quick driving tour along Waikawa Bay, just north of the small town of Picton (about the size of SRF). 

   Waikawa Bay

I decided to go buy a lightweight duffle bag to help carry all my stuff before dropping off the rental car and getting the ferry from the South to the North Island. It means I can finally dump that Mexican looking plastic checkered bag from the Ghan Train.  It has tears along the bottom which I have tried to repare with packing tape.

I dropped off the rental car, they drove me to the ferry terminal, I checked in and had time to grab some lunch before the ferry departure at 1 pm. 

 Getting on board the ferry from the elevated walkway

 The view from the walkway, looking out at Picton Harbour


 Good bye Picton.


Good bye South Island, you were amazing!

I think I can finally answer the question: Which was your favourite country of all? It is New Zealand.


Leaving the South Island through Queen Charlotte Sound
 “Queen Charlotte Sound is more than 50 kms long and has a total coastline of 1,750 kms. It has two entrances: the larger northern entrance is 40 kms while the inter-island ferry uses the narrow Tory Channel entrance. Captain Cook was the first European to discover Queen Charlotte Sound in 1770.”  

Cook Straight separates the North and South Islands.  I spent most of the 3 ½ hour ferry ride reading although I did venture up to one of the partially open decks to take some pictures. The ferry was HUGE ! 

 Arriving on the North Island and entering through Wellington Harbour

 The East side of the harbour mouth has lots of communities

 Looking back to the mouth of the Harbour

We near Wellington

We arrived at 4:30 in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.  The next car rental was waiting for me at the ferry terminal and armed with the map I had drawn from Booking.com, I easily drove from the terminal to the Marksman Motor Inn through the downtown core… during rush hour.  No tourist detours…. YEAH !   I did end up in the wrong lane twice; not the oncoming lane mind you, but the wrong lane to make the required turns around a cricket stadium near the motel.  The drivers here are extremely courteous however (no honking of horns) and they let me cut in to their lanes each time.   I was able to make the necessary lane changes and arrive safely. 

While I was driving today, I heard on the news that the road to Milford Sound was closed to traffic as of 6 pm due the risk of rock falls above the western portal of the Homer Tunnel.  It would reopen in a few days.

I settle in to the motel and go out to find a restaurant.  Actually nothing near my motel, I should have headed south instead of north and gone into the downtown core.  I found a "take-away" pizza and a small shop at a gas station where I could buy a few supplies to refill my small cooler.

It had been a busy day and I went to sleep early.