13 January 2015

The last several days were spent in Wellington preparing to resume the hike.  I really like the city of Wellington. It has a more relaxed feel to it than Auckland does.  It’s a lot like what I would consider a college town in the US. It also has a very nice waterfront district on Lambton Harbour. Contrary to my common practice for cities in New Zealand I did not eat any pizza while I was there. But I did eat in several pubs and restaurants of which there are many good ones to choose from.

Cuba St

Lambton Harbour

Today I took the ferry from Wellington to Picton.  It was nearly a 4 hour ride that I spent enjoying the views, eating a late lunch and reading a book.  During the trip the clouds cleared away and it became a very nice afternoon to spend on the deck of the ferry.

My Ride

I arrived in Picton at 5:30 this evening. Giving me just enough time to stop at the visitors center before it closed, to arrange for a water taxi to Ship Cove. While I was there I also purchased a pass for the Queen Charlotte track, which is the only portion of the hike that requires a pass.  I will be taking the 8 a.m. water taxi to Ship Cove tomorrow, which is where the south island portion of the Te Araroa trail starts.

Picton