Day 94 - Paekakariki - Wellington - Picton
Trip Start
Nov 29, 2007
1
61
70
Trip End
Mar 27, 2008
Picton,
New Zealand
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
We got back in the van to drive to Wellington which wasn't very far. First of all, we went to see where the ferry was so we would know where to find it. It was well sign posted and therefore easy to find so we headed into the city. Wellington reminds me a little bit of Sydney with it's high buildings and busy streets. There are lots of very well-dressed, posh looking people here and we felt a bit out of place in our un-ironed jeans. We parked the car up and went to have a look around the shops. I found an internet cafe and decided to have a few hours typing since we have time to kill. Dean wandered off by himself to have a look about and came back for me later.
We had a slow walk to the car and set off for the ferry. After checking our vehicle in and obtaining our boarding passes, we then had to sit in a queue for about an hour. The ferry was a bit late but we got on eventually and it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. There is everything on board; several lounges, eating places and a bar. I thought it was great looking around the various decks and there is even a movie theatre here.
The ferry is an experience in itself, the scenery was gorgeous - we could see all the mountains and it ws just so pretty. We spent most of our time on the deck looking at the scenery although it was a little bit cold. We went and had a drink in the bar and sat outside with our beer, it is not very busy and not many people about. It was a bit of a shame it was getting dark so we didn't get a good look at the scenery as we approached the South Island but what we could see was stunning. It was like taking a scenic boat ride and we both really enjoyed the journey, the water was very calm. Picton looked lovely as we sailed into it, it was dark and the lights of the town looked all twinkly from the deck. I was a bit worried we might get lost in the dark trying to find the campsite but it wasn't a problem and we found it straight away. We were there within ten minutes of driving off the ferry.
It's not the nicest campsite we have stayed at, the kitchen is a bit scruffy but functional and there was a big cockroachy thing in the Ladies. Of course, we couldn't really see much of the site in the dark. We put the awning up and it seemed a bit cool so we got in the van and had an early night. Tomorrow, all being well, we will be falling out of the sky.
