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Published: January 21st 2008
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Ben on a headland near Picton
Just another viewpoint - one of thousands... DATE VISITED: 19-21ST JAN
The ferry crossing across the Cook Strait wasn't too stomach-churning thank God. We were warned by locals that the Strait can be prone to a funnelling affect of the winds from the Tasman and Pacific oceans at either side - on top of this local newspapers were reporting rough seas with swells of over a metre but I thought a metre wouldn't be too bad!
On the day itself the first hour was a bit up and down but not enough to make me go up on deck to throw. The middle and end of the sailing was pretty calm (as far as this crossing goes anyway)....
The views coming into South Island kept us company almost all throughout the crossing as the visibility was so good. We arrived through the pretty Marlborough Sounds - a fjord like channel where the boat made a few turns passing the forested steep sided hills and pretty little coves on the way. There were some gorgeous looking isolated houses on the hillside with only a jetty and a boat visible Its a hard life!
Picton itself is a lovely harbour town - very cute and compact,
peacefull too. I think we were expecting some busy bustling harbour, stinking of fish and looking messy like they sometimes do. Instead we were greeted with a quaint quiet harbour the size of Whitby nestled in the hills overlooking the sounds.
I think slowly we will realise that New Zealand and everything within it is just so much quieter and unspoilt(I mean even the capital was so NOT like a capital)...
On the first day we chilled out at our backpackers overlooking the bay. The bed was huge - a lovely queen size width! Later we checked out a view point up the road which took us to a totally isolated headland which looked out over the sound - so peaceful. Yet again I tried to capture this moment on video but you just had to be there. I think its the constant realisation that places of such outstanding beauty and wilderness are totally quiet with no crowds, tourists, boat traffic or accommodation spoiling the scenery. Its just ALL empty and totally untouched.
The second day we managed to hire a pair of bikes and get a water taxi which took us back out up the sounds to
a quiet cove. We disembarked and began our 30+ k ride back towards Picton which would take us through a part of the Queen Charlotte Track. This track is world renowned for its beauty and views which takes you through deep bush, skyline tracks above the treeline, coastal roads following the Marlborough and Queen Charlotte Sounds (fjords if you like)! beaches and coastal scenery. The track was easy enough (a few ups and downs) but it felt like a lot more down hill for the ups we climbed (bonus!). The track was fun and particularly good for mountain bikes. We took about 4 hours where we ended up at a bay about 20 mins from Picton to enjoy our picnic . Luckily we got a lift from another office of the same company from here. We were pretty saddle sore by this point but it didn't matter - the aches and pains were totally worth it for the views.
There were a few people on the track but nothing compared to English standards.
I don't what to sound like a stuck record but this over population thing really does filter through to everything in life and having such an
under population here just makes you feel you can have everthing just to yourself!
On our last day we hired bikes again and this time got a lift to the Marlborough wine tasting region near Renwick (a bit south from Picton) where we proceeded to tour on bikes around all the vineyards in the area! We were given a map and there were hundreds on there! We got through about 6 and managed to sample over 30 wines! I was feeling a bit tipsy by the end of it as we started at 11am and were mixing grapes gallore - primarily the Sauvignon Blanc (which was stunningly crisp and fresh nearly everywhere we went) to the Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir. The merlot wasn't so good here - but at least we sampled that in Hawkes bay where we were told the climate is much more suited there. What I loved was just cruising around France - like scenery in the warm summer air and chatting to the owners who could have talked to us all day - this is partly why we only made it around 6. I hope I have learnt something about Grapes but by the
end of it my eyes and memory was going a bit blurred!
All good fun though! It had to be done seeing as we were in a world renowned area for this - especially the Sauvignon!
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Mandy
non-member comment
told ya
I knew you would love it!!!! Whilst you are in the north of SI go to Tarkaka, Golden Beach, Abel Tasman Nat Park and Nelson