Picton & Ferry Crossing North Island

Uñt’ayata: 03.08.2024

Good morning, my dears,

I’m at work a bit earlier again, but this time because I took the time for myself, as I somehow can't get my blogs updated at home. So, I drove to work to give you a few updates.

After my nightly visitor on my Glowworm trip, I slept like a baby and then continued on to Picton the next day. On the way, I stopped several times to enjoy the view. However, while enjoying the view, I noticed that one of my lights on the car was broken and I definitely needed to get that fixed. So after checking in at the campsite, I headed to the workshop recommended by the friendly receptionist at the campsite. Upon arrival, the mechanic looked at the bulb and unfortunately it was not a 'normal' bulb, but one of the more expensive ones, and he sadly did not have it in stock. So, he ordered the bulb and asked me to come back either in the afternoon or the next morning. However, I was hoping the bulb would arrive the same day, as I had my ferry leaving the next day and I definitely did not want to miss that. Thankfully, it didn’t leave until 1 PM.

Since the weather was sunny and I had 3 hours to kill before the bulb might arrive, I decided to take a little hike in Picton along the fjord.

The track was lovely to walk and there weren’t too many people out. It was more of a stroll than a hike, but it was a dream.

The viewpoint at the end of the Snout Track was wonderful - I could see the ferries passing by and sit there watching the many small bays. I also had a delicious afternoon snack and just relaxed a bit. On the way back, I had a nice chat with a local and then headed back to the campsite.

Unfortunately, the bulb did not arrive that day, so the next morning I went to the workshop very early. Very early, in this case, meant half-past seven, as I wanted to be the first in the workshop. This worked out quite well, and my light was changed. Since I was already awake, I took the chance to explore the city center and the beachfront promenade more closely. I got weak at the jewelry stores I found there. Unfortunately, I lost a part of the earrings I bought there already. :( Maybe I will find them during my next car cleaning. I haven't given up hope yet because the other part of the lost earrings was a purchase from Portugal.

But I didn't just look at the jewelry stores on the promenade - I also found a super delicious bakery and treated myself to a huge sourdough bread for the 'productive' morning. You know: 'Treat yourself!' And with my fresh bread in tow, I headed to a little café right by the promenade. Here I enjoyed a nice coffee and did some reading while waiting for the check-in time for the ferry.

The check-in for the ferry was excellently organized and as a driver, I found my way around quickly. However, there was a brief confusion when the question arose as to whether my gas cartridges in the car need to be marked for the ferry or not. Info for all future travelers to New Zealand: No, they do not need to be marked, as long as they are the small cartridges.

The crossing itself was a dream. I spent most of the time sitting on the top deck, enjoying the sun and the view while reading. The crossing takes about 2-3 hours, and the ferries are really well-equipped. There’s even a cinema on board that I would certainly have used in bad weather. But thankfully, the sun was shining and I made the most of the weather outside, because about halfway through the trip and just after leaving the South Island, the captain made an announcement: 'On the right side of the boat, you can see a whale saying hello to us!' And indeed, during my crossing, I saw a humpback whale that was happily waving with its fin and even did a leap out of the water - sooooo cool! The humpback whales are currently migrating, so it’s quite possible that I might see some more soon.