Marlborough Country

We had an early start today, checking out of our hotel in central Wellington and taking the motor coach a very short drive to the ferry terminal. This is a big ferry that carries rail cars, semi-trucks, cars, and this time of year, a fleet of RVs. We checked our bag and got our boarding passes as foot passengers, because a different bus will be picking us up on the other side.

The Cook Strait, between the North Island and the South Island of New Zealand, has a reputation for strong winds and rough waters. Our weather luck continued, however. Our tour leader said it was far and away the smoothest passage across the Strait that he’s ever experienced.

As the crow flies (or perhaps, in this part of the world, as the albatross flies) it is less than 30 miles between Wellington and Picton, the small town on the South Island where the ferry docks. However, the ship does not sail as the crow flies. A long southerly loop is required to leave Wellington harbor.

Then, after crossing the Strait, the ferry navigates a series of narrow passages before finding its way to Queen Charlotte Sound. The beautiful mountains rise straight out of the water, and the terrain is reminiscent of the Seattle area. Morning fog burned off, and most of the ship’s passengers made their way to the open observation deck for the final half hour or so of the cruise, just so that we could all enjoy the view.

Reclaiming our luggage, we met our new driver and set out down New Zealand Highway 1. Rugged mountains and pine forests gave way to a wide, flat valley that is New Zealand’s wine country — the Marlborough region and Wairau River Valley. We detoured to a winery for a very nice tasting. Most of the grapes here are pinot gris (a variety of pinot grigio) and white wines are produced almost exclusively. Another region, farther south, produces some reds.

We drove on through beautiful mountain scenery, though I admit I dozed off for a bit on the 90 minute drive to Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve. The Pelorus River is a favorite weekend spot for New Zealanders to swim, camp, picnic, and otherwise enjoy summer. It is also one of the sites used in making the Lord of the Rings films. The old bridge has a history, but I think I slept through that part.

From Pelorus Bridge it was less than an hour to Nelson. First stop was a scenic overlook. Our tour director clearly doesn’t think much of Nelson as a town, but it is obviously a very prosperous city, and seemed quite nice to us. It is surrounded on the east, south, and west by three different national parks, and to the north by beautiful sandy beaches. It is a thriving tourist town.

Passing the beach and the site of the annual kite festival currently underway, we arrived at our hotel, which is by the sea on the outskirts of Nelson. We enjoyed a nice seafood dinner and a pleasant walk along the shore as the tide went out. Then it was time to get ready for our first hike of the trip, which comes up tomorrow morning.