Goodbye South Island, hello Wellington and Mike & Caroline

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Goodbye to the South Island – the hostel offers a free transfer to the ferry terminal (very handy) and I am checked in and relieved of my bags by 9.30am. I wander to the bakery in town to pick up a nice fresh roll to accompany and pad out my left over tuna and vegetables from yesterday’s dinner.

The ferry departs at 10.30am, and the crossing is stunning – cruising through the Marlborough Sound. As we enter the Cook Straight, you can see the North Island in the distance, and also, all the way along the East Coast of the South Island to Kaikoura. I am very lucky, as the sun is out and the water is as still as a mill pond, so I spend the crossing outside on the front deck, admiring the view, and talking to a nice New Zealand couple who are stood next to me, and a New Zealand guy who is off to pick up his new boat, and sail it back to Christchurch.

As we enter the North Island area the dark clouds roll in and the weather starts to get cold, but I brave the conditions to admire the views of Wellington unfolding, arriving into the dock at 1.40pm.

As organised with Mike a few days ago, Caroline was going to meet me at 2pm, and as I picked up my bags and waited outside the ferry terminal, calling to confirm my arrival, I started to wonder if I would recognise Caroline. Luckily as soon as she rolled up, I did immediately.

It’s a short journey back to Mike and Carolines house, and thanks to the steep hill you have to ascend to reach the village, their house has stunning views over the whole Wellington harbour. In the late afternoon I am introduced to the world of PackNSave – a large warehouse supermarket style place, and after the weekly shop is completed we head back to the house.

We have a lovely evening, chatting away, as if I was one of the family and see them all the time, which is soooo nice. After a scrumptious dinner of shepherds pie, enjoyed with a glass of wine, the photo albums appear, and we look over photos of me as a baby and holidays we all went on together in France. Needless to say it was a tad surreal to be looking at photos of myself, with their children, Jamie and Ben aged only a few months up to 3 or so, when I am on the opposite side of the world!

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