Heading towards the South Island

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Kia ora from New Zealand..... so after less than 12 hours in Wellington I checked if there was any update from my travel agent (nope!) and headed off to get the Interislander ferry to take me to the South Island. Farily uneventful trip - had some pancakes for breakfast, got myself a seat at the front inside so had pretty good views. Nothing could have prepared me for how stunning the scenery would be as we headed inland to the town of Picton - have a look at the photos and judge for yourself. When I got to Picton I dragged my bag the furthest I've had to drag it so far and I swear there are some rocks hidden in it that I can't find. I got to the train station and they said the trains still weren't running and there were no replacement buses (something the UK gets right!). So I dragged my bag across the road to the tourist information office. I feel I should take some time to applaud the tourist information offices of New Zealand. Not only do you get a warm welcome but they bend over backwards to help you and will make bookings for you, phone up places to make enquiries, anything you need. Basically you could turn up to one of these places with nothing booked and you'd be in safe hands. They booked me on a bus from Picton to Kaikoura that was leaving in an hour- perfect! I decided I was hungry so went to find something to eat. I feel I should take some time to also applaud the sandwich makers of New Zealand - they do an awesome job. Chicken salad sandwich with no goo (that's no mayo, salad cream, dressing, pickle or relish for those who don't know Emma speak). When I say salad I mean lettuce, carrot, tomato, cucumber, onion, egg and pepper - awesome! Before I knew it it was time to board my bus and settle back for some more stunning scenery. This bit of the South Island isn't as green as the North Island but lovely. I found it to be quite calming - I know I'm more relaxed than I've been in years but this place just makes me smile. I was looking out the window and realised I was smiling for no apparent reason but couldn't help it! As we drove along the coastal road we passed a seal colony on the rocks - I couldn't believe it and I went from smiling to grinning like an idiot. Unfortunately the bus was going too fast for photos but the memory will stay with me for a while.

2 hours after setting out from Picton we arrived in Kaikoura - a little town that deserves it's own blog entry and where I had an experience to rival the Great Barrier Reef. Bye for now......

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Photos

Wellington to Picton
A number of photos coming up taken from the Interislander ferry

Marlborough vineyards
I keep this lot in business!