NZ Adventures #5: Catching the Ferry to South Island

Earth date:  Sunday, November 18, 2019

Agenda:  Wellington ➜ Ferry to Picton ➜ Nelson

A Ferry Trip

Mornings are just so early.  So very early.   6am is really early when you've just fallen asleep in a large, very comfy bed.  But, we had a ferry to catch to Picton on the South Island, and we were supposed to drop the car off by 7:30am and be checked-in and ready to board by 8:15am.  /yawn.  But I am super excited about seeing the South Island!

We jot over to the ferry and squeeze our car into a non-Hertz car rental return space.  Are we worried about it?  Maybe slightly.  But eh?  NEW ZEALAND!

The Interislander ferry ride was about 3.5 hours, and of course, provided plentiful beautiful scenery.  We chilled out at the back of the ferry sitting across from large windows (in need of a good wash, I must add) that provided a decent view.  Jayme chilled.  He's like eh, it's a ferry just like in Vancouver.  I'm like we are in freakin' NZ! (the novelty hasn't yet worn off), and ran around for a while taking bad photos before finally settling down in my seat.

See.  Pretty bad photography.  Why is it not even straight?  And my bestie gave me a photography class for Christmas a few years ago.  Yes, I did attend the class.  This is why Jayme is in charge of photography.  But he was chilling and not interested in capturing the barely visible landscape due to the fog.  I mean, whatever.

Really, he had the right idea.  Just chill.  We were up early, and we'll be able to take in the beauty when we arrive.  Sensibility really rubs me the wrong way sometimes.




This snap wasn't too bad.  Hard to mess up that loveliness.  This is arriving into the South Island's Queen Harbor Sound.

Picton

See how the ferry weaves into the Sound.  The scenery on either side of the ship was gorgeous, primarily low forest with an occasional homestead.

Picton is a major transportation hub for the area, but you'd never know it.  It's a quaint little town, and part of the local wine region.  Diving is popular here.  I mean just look at the azure waters.  So is driving, and that's much more our speed.

After picking up Hertz-mobile #2, we lunched at a cute cafe, called Waves, on the main drag, High Street.  Of course we lunched first.  What are we, skinny?  Waves has a patio out back, so we enjoyed the usual fare - burgers, salad and of course, chips (aka fries).  Jayme fed the amiable birds hopping about the table area, who also really enjoy chips.  Just close enough to catch a chip, but far enough to dash around a lobbed chip.  Clever, scavenging birdies.

And then we're off!  North(ish) on Queen Charlotte Drive, headed to Cullen Point Overlook.  It's a 44 minute drive to go roughly 30km.  Because it's a swervy, twisty, windy, turny and tummy-troubling drive through lovely bush and sparkling views of the ocean.  Just beautiful.  Too beautiful not to stop for a few snaps.

The sky is brilliant blue; the waters are azure and teal, at the same time; the foliage is sharp, fresh green; the company is delightful.  Surely, this must be one of the most lovely places on the planet.

A restroom + water stop at Momorangi Bay, which is basically a camping site and store right there on the bay.  If we should tire of our new place in Hobbiton, we might consider the offer to run the camp store.  What?  I can sell stuff.

Cullen Point Lookout

Then we're off to Cullen Point Lookout, which is basically a blip on the windy, twisty, turny Queen Charlotte Drive, but very formally named the Cullen Point Scenic Reserve.  More importantly, it's a 10-minute walk up, up, up to magnificent, post-card worthy views of Mahau Sound on the right and town of Havelock on the left.

 Now look, there's no need to be jelly of my travel hat.

The vegetation is scrubby, ferns and beeches, sporting as many shades of green as there are shades of blue in the sound waters.

Pelorus Bridge

Next stop:  Pelorus Bridge, which is a teensy, one-lane suspension bridge over the intersection of the Rai and Pelorus Rivers.  They do that alot on the South Island, one-way bridges and passes.  It's nerve-wracking... waiting to see what the car on the other side will do.  Chicken anyone?

Officially, it's the Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve now.  I guess when you have a population of 1.038 million on the South Island and land mass of  58,084 square miles, you can call a wee bridge a Scenic Reserve.  Scenic it is.

We noted quite a few families picnicking and a couple of crazy folks jumping into the river from the rocks below the bridge.  And in nothing but their skivvies.  It's nature, man.

This was our introduction into camper and backpacking life.  I wouldn't really begin to get it until we sat in front of a bunch of young backpackers on the water taxi in Abel Tasman tomorrow... but I'm getting ahead of myself.  For now, we are reveling in the magnificent views (not in the skivvies) and curvy drive.  Making our way slowly to Nelson.

Nelson

We arrived in Nelson by about 5:00pm and made our way to our motel for the evening.  We are wary.  Will it be a RotoVegas repeat?  Please, dear JC, no thank you.  Annnndd....It wasn't!  The Palms Motel Nelson was your standard issue motel, but renovated, clean and with nice amenities.  Thank goodness!

We googled restaurants with vegan options for dinner, and found one within walking distance of The Palms in the Nelson downtown area.  East St Cafe pops up with high Google ratings.  Jayme is a giving soul, and decides tonight he'd take one for the team and eat vegan.  East St Cafe is eclectic and awesome!  I wish we'd taken pictures of our plates, cuz it was a lot of delish food.  It was overwhelming to have a choice of anything on the menu, but I pulled through, people, don't you worry.  Plus we have to try a drink -- I think I had something fun like an elderberry tonic.  Oh, and another plus - dessert!  I am a fat and happy woman tonight.  We are seated next to a big family party, so people watching was another plus.  People watching is one of my favorite travel activities.  Jayme says I'm creepy, but whatever.  I'm observing local customs and interesting interactions.

After dinner we explore downtown, walking through the main courtyard, Trafalgar Square towards Nelson Cathedral.  Dinner is just getting started for Sunday evening, so the colorful umbrellas are out and folks are taking their seats.  Nelson is a quaint city, and the weather is just awesome.

We wander up to Nelson Cathedral and mosey through the gardens out front.  Nelson Cathedral is an Anglican church, built in the 19th century, then renovated in the early 1900s.  It's tower is 35 meters high and can pretty much be spotted anywhere in Nelson.

We're still feeling tired and jet lagged, or maybe just old and chubby.  So we don't tarry too long.  I meant to wander around Trafalgar Square to ogle in the window of the Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith shop.  Jens was the designer of the One Ring.  You know, that one.  But I totally forgot, as all the blood had rushed from my head to my stomach to digest all that delicious vegan grub.  We are figuring out Monday plans, so we head back to the motel for down time and planning.

We--ok, I decide that Monday is going to be a water adventure of some sort in Abel Tasman.  I'm determined to have a beach adventure somewhere in NZ, and I'd set my sights on Abel Tasman National Park on the northern coast of the South Island.  My original idea was a morning of kayaking before the 4-hour drive to the West Coast.  That idea was not going over well with the Hubs, so we decided instead to catch a water taxi at Muahara.  Turns out Jayme was spot on... but we won't mention that out loud.  Can't let it go to his head.

Tune into the next NZ Adventure for pristine beaches, marvelous views, backpackers, wood chopping and beach caves here.