We Take a Ferry Ride

Today we will be taking both a ferry and a train, a long day ahead.  Our hotel (the Copthorne Plimmer Towers) has a strange set up with a reception area on the same level as  the parkade instead of at ground level.  Our shuttle is late picking us up which causes us a lot of stress, we cannot miss the ferry or we will miss our train.  The ferry terminal is further away then we expected and we are relieved to finally arrive and find out that our bags are going to go directly to the train terminal in Christchurch, so we will not have to worry about getting them from the ferry to the train station.   It is a full ferry as this seems to be the major way to get from the North to the South island.  We find ourselves a seat with a view and settle back for the 3 hour crossing.  The sun is shining and it looks to be a great trip.  It is a little rocky to start out and staff make an announcement about the availability of medicine for seasickness.   The rocking does not bother us and the ferry sets out into the Cook Straights and soon settles down for a beautiful crossing.  The outside deck is wonderful, with spectacular views being offered and I spend a lot of time up there jostling with others for the best spots to take photos.   Again the trip is over all too soon, it has been a lovely morning and we have arrived in Picton.  Arriving at the ferry terminal one of the helpful staff walk with us to the end of the quay to point out the train terminal, not too far away (just through the Subway sandwich shop and you are there).   We line up for our seat assignment on  the Trans Coastal rail line.  We are taking the train down the east coast to Christchurch, which should be about a  5 ½ hour trip and we should be arriving at 6:30 p.m.

Ferry Views

Scenes in Passing

After our last train trip we are a little leary but this is a beautiful trip through the Marlborough wine district and then along the coast to Kaikoura a little fishing village with beautiful views.  At one point we see whales and there is much excitement and rushing for pictures.  Now this train has a "viewing car".  When I read the brochures about this trip they made the viewing car a feature of the add so I was quite excited to be going on a train where I would be able to stand outside and take pictures as views go by.   The reality was a little different from my expectations.  To get to the viewing car (or the food service car) you must walk from carriage to carriage across little platforms that you hold onto while rocking wildly until you can pull the door open and get safely into the next car (or carriage if you live here).  It is much like old western movies where the hero and bad guy fight it out in the rocking little platform between cars, until one of them falls off the train.  The viewing car is really open.  It has rails to hold onto around the perimeter. And few posts down the center of the carriage that you can also cling to.  The enclosed part comes to waist level, the rest is open.  Out here in this wind blown car you really feel the speed of the train (perhaps it is going faster then I expected).  Trying to get  your camera up to take a picture while rocking along and being blown by winds is pretty tricky.  As the train ride is not smooth it is hard to keep the camera still enough to take  a decent picture.  I soon give up on this idea, but you can get a good view from here.  You must also be careful not to put your hand (or your face) out of this car as sometimes you whip into a tunnel which is now 2 inches from your face.  Same thing when we go by the trees, they are right there 2 inches from your face, not a place to make a wrong move.  

View From the Ferry

This train also makes stops along the way but not as many as on our first train trip.  Nevertheless we are once again over an hour late arriving into Christchurch.  This train station is more organized then the previous one.  They have a conveyer belt that luggage is placed onto, making it easier to get at.  Al goes to find the luggage, I go to find our driver.  Luckily we are both successful and  we arrive at the Hotel Grand Chancellor without too much stress.

View of the Pacific