I’m off . . . . . . . . .

There are always two things I miss when I go away

Phee ❤

and

Home ❤

but there are adventures to be had, new experiences to have.

 

So I was on the road, going solo.

No goodbye from Phee at the gate . . . . .

I was really pleased that Phee chose to stay inside, when it warms up he begins to sleep on the veranda. I didn’t sleep too well so it was good to know he was there.

 I got up at 4.30am, couldn’t see the point in lying there making lists in my head, worried I would forget the four things I had thought of. I could have turned on the light and put them on the phone. I didn’t! 

I left at 6.15am and the traffic was light all the way. I decided I wasn’t sure if I had brought the lap top. I had said to Lena “It doesn’t matter if I forget things as long as I bring the cameras, phones and laptop. I worried all the way to Wellington and of course it was there.

It was a treat to go on the new motorway, the first one I can remember in our region in decades. All the good stuff seems to happen to “them up there, north of the Bombays (Auckland)” 😉 It will be a great time saver when it has finished

The Noordam!

See you in 4 weeks . . . .

The ferry left on the dot of 9am and it was a good trip out of Wellington harbour, which takes an hour, another hour over the Cook Strait, another hour and through Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton. The visibility was amazing, I could see the South Island so clearly from Paekakariki and Kapiti and Mana Islands from the Strait. I was hoping for Dolphins but there were none; often they feed in the area in the morning.

Flying into Wellington airport and the boat’s funnel!

The fist glimpse go the South Island and the North Island together.

The Holland Line curse ship, Noordam, was berthed in Wellington and, coincidentally, Queen Maxima and King Willem Alexander of Holland were in Wellington. I have been on her sister ship, the Westerdam twice on an Alaskan cruise.

 The ferry, the Kaitaki, the biggest Interislander, wasn’t too full. It takes 1350 passengers, has 60 staff and has 1780 lane meters; there are 10 decks and it is 181.6 meters long. It doesn’t take trains; several of the others do.

 There were a large number of tourists on the ferry. German was very common and I was thinking about the number of camper vans and the number of people who drive on the other side of the road in their homeland 🙂

A few of the wind turbines at Terawhiti Station

There was a distinct line where Wellington harbour met the Cook Strait!

 

Kapiti and Mana Islands (both bird sanctuaries) and the North Island

We had just entered the Sounds through the Tory Channel, a narrow entrance.

Turning left 😉

A lovely hideaway, only accessible by boat

It is a pleasant day in Picton, quite warm, a nice breeze and 21 degrees. Off with the long pants and into cargo pants and sandals. I wore sneakers on the boat as it can be both wet and cold. Caution prevails. 

I had a walk along the waterfront, went to the supermarket for something for dinner and on to the motorcamp. I chose the one on the edge of Picton (population less than 5 thousand) as I was wanting solitude. I was aware that there is a rail bridge that runs over part of the camp but I live adjacent to the railway line and it doesn’t bother me. I guess I will know when there is a ferry arriving and departing 😉 There is hardly anyone there, though that may change as the two ferry lines drop off passengers and vehicles. There is also lots of bush, birds and a stream. I had planned to go for a bush walk but I have already done 11,479 steps at 3pm. I’m happy with that. I don’t think I can be bothered putting up the satellite dish to watch TV and it will be an early night.

The Kaitaki about to return

This would look wonderful at my place

I recently bought (another) camera, a pocket Canon with x40 zoom. I’m finding having to carry around the DSLR (and even the bridge Canon with x60 zoom) is a nuisance and they weigh a ton with the lenses. I am really pleased with it so far, I will call into Blenheim tomorrow and buy an extra battery.

Oddly, I didn’t get excited! I am absolutely delighted to be on the road and in the South Island but no excitement.

~~5 November 2016~~