The adventure continues

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Picton
OK. Enough with the weather! A SE Arctic wind that keeps the temperatures low and the rains coming is haunting us. That didn’t dampen our welcome by the local population where each passenger going ashore was presented with a small boutonniere. Since we carry approximately 1600 passengers, the work that went into this lovely greeting is extraordinary.
Today I head to Ships Cove where Captain Cook first landed in 1770 and then returned again and again as it provided everything he needed to reprovision and careen the vessel. A natural spring provided fresh water and the Maori were friendly and helpful. There was a shallow slope where the vessel could be beached to clean the hull of barnacles and apply tar and pitch to the hull.
On the way we saw shags (cormorants), gannets and NZ fur seals. These opportunistic fellows were basking at the salmon farm, waiting for escapees or plotting their next assault on the enclosures. Fur seals are a protected species so when one is successful in liberating the salmon for a hearty feast, it cannot be harmed in any way. The farmer will identify the culprit and it will be tagged with a yellow ear tag and relocated. If it makes its way back, as it surly will, it will be watched carefully for any bad behavior.
The cove is an ideal anchorage. It is now a protected area and since it has never been farmed, the vegetation is all native species. Our guide took a group on a short walk along the beach, pointing out useful species. One was nicknamed the toilet paper tree. No more need be said. One tree has tiny yellow fruit that is deadly poison to humans but that the birds find delicious. It also makes them drunk. What they perceive as a hangover is really the cooking pot of the Maori. Catching dinner was never easier. There was a pair of Paradise Ducks foraging. They were pretty tame and very noisy. We also got up close to a Weka. A flightless bird, the Weka’s are endangered and have been introduced to Ship’s Cove where it seems to like life very much. No feral cats, stoats, ferrets or possums are on the island. These are the creatures that have caused such devastation to the native plants and birds.
There is a large monument to Captain Cook at the center of the park. Picnic tables have been built in the shape a canoe, a practical way that honors the Maori discovery canoes. Beautiful carvings created by the contemporary Maori dot the beach and the toilets are large and beautifully decorated with representations of the native plants. They also smell like lemon and pine.
There is a short trail to see twin waterfalls but it is steep and slippery because of the rain and I passed since my knee has been giving me fits, mainly because of the damp weather.
A quick ride back to the ship gave me time to catch a quick bite and check in for a wine tour of the Marlborough wine region.
The afternoon took me to wine country. We stopped at four vineyards in this region that specializes in white wine. The most famous is the Sauvignon Blanc followed by Riesling and Pinot Gris. I didn’t find a wine I liked, most were very thin and acidic. We stopped at a few small vineyards, Huia, Framingham and Allen Scott. Our last stop was at the better known Hunter. The weather continued cool and wet and is worrying the vineyards, as this is harvest time and the worst time for the weather to get rainy. All the wonderful growing season can be ruined with rain just prior to harvest. The countryside is picturesque and provides ideal grape habitat. The soil is basically gravel and river rock but the vines love is and flourish.
Once again we experienced very rough seas as we transited the Cook Strait. Here, the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific and the sea was rocking and rolling.
As I write this these is a spectacular sunrise outside my cabin window. The sky is an impressionist painting, strips of blues and greens, pinks and grays with the mountains silhouetted against the sky.

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