Part of the way home

In the morning we drive to Picton and sit in the harbor with a coffee. We're trying to plan our remaining weeks on the North Island. We don't succeed so well and we decide to postpone the planning. We arrived at the check-in for the ferry on time and waited almost an hour until we were let on the ship. But we can make great use of the time, pack our backpacks and read. Since it was so cold last time, I assume it will definitely be that way again. So I pack all my warm things. I fully intend to spend the entire trip on the observation deck. This time, however, it won't be cold. We were sitting in the blazing sun and it was way too hot for us. At times I was sitting on the floor in the shade of a trash can and Maren even burned her left thigh. We stay on the deck the entire trip and only go inside once to get something sweet. As soon as I got in the door, I noticed the swell and everything was shaking. Maren even has to hold me for a moment. Very crazy, because up on the viewing deck I don't notice anything at all today. The crossing somehow feels like coming home. Over 2 months have already passed and we are leaving the South Island behind us. Just a few more stops and then we'll be in Auckland and have to sell our bus and then we'll head off to cold Germany. It feels very unreal, but somehow it just becomes a bit more real.

In Wellington we decide to stay in the city for a few more hours. We want to go out for Asian food, but since it's not that easy to find something that meets all our expectations, we end up in a really rancid Asian store. Unfortunately, the food doesn't convince us at all and we get cinnamon balls across the street as dessert for the journey. However, we eat them up in the city when we discover a cute little band that we listen to briefly. We spend the night outside on a very nice free camper site right on the water. We are determined to shake off our travel fatigue of the last few days and make a real effort on the North Island. Starting with our morning routine, which we are now neglecting more and more.