Day 12 - Picton to Wellington

We've passed the half way point in our trip. Today was dedicated to crossing from Picton on the South Island to Wellington on the North. We took some time in the morning to view some scenery around Picton and then heady for vehicle check-in at 12:15 at the Ferry terminal. After parking the car we haded upstairs to the veiw deck (Deck 8) and proceeded to waste several hours playing cards while the ferry sailed across the channel. The view was great and the water not too rough. After trying to walk across the floor Anne decided that it was best to stay seated though while in the middle of the channel.

Upon arriving in Wellington we immediatle tryed to find the Rental company...again. Our latest rental car seems to have issues with a belt of some kind. the problem seemed minor in Christchurch but worsened when we drove the car onto (and off) the ferry. Ace has been nice enough to stay open late tomorrow so we can exchange it for another after our Lord of the Rings tour.

That's right...tomorrow is the big LOTR tour. An all day exploration of the sites in and around wellington made famous by Peter Jackson and the movies. We even get our own elf ears for the trip...stay tuned for pictures though I doubt we'll get Chris into a pair :).

Tonight we ate at a resturant called The Flying Burrito Brothers. It was pretty good for being WAY south of the border. The pitcher of Margaritas helped too.

Our motel tonight has a great view of the city. Wellington seems to be a fusion of Berkeley and Manhattan in style and environment.

Tomorrow after the LOTR tour we're off to Hawks Bay to visit the town of Napier (for Tony) and do some wine tasting on Wednesday.

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