Tag 22 - off to the South Island

The crossing from Wellington to Picton was truly a feast for the eyes.

From the somewhat strange, unreal campsite, we headed to the ferry terminal before sunrise, which is located at the other end of downtown Wellington. On the ferry company's website, I couldn't really figure out the conditions for carrying bags and bicycles. But it was all quite simple, this is where the New Zealanders' calmness pays off. Once on the ferry, I found a seat on the deck. There were still some veiled clouds over Wellington this morning, but they quickly disappeared over the open sea. The deck emptied out, but when the ship came into view of the first cliffs, it suddenly became crowded on deck. No one wanted to miss this spectacle and the view over (and into) the Marlborough Sounds, it was indescribably beautiful: many peninsulas, lonely bays, waterfalls, and many gorges. And all in fantastic weather! Truly great!

There were two cyclists from Seattle on the ferry with me, who were planning to ride a mountain bike trail outside of Picton, the place where we landed, in the coming days. So I rolled alone towards the bus. When I arrived there, the conversation between the driver and me was the same as in the previous days: he said that the luggage has priority, but if I could manage to assemble my bike in the smallest possible way in 10 minutes, so that it fits into a small niche in the rear area, he would take it with us. Luckily, it worked. So in the afternoon, I reached Nelson. The city is home to many artists, and it is a great city both in terms of architecture and surroundings. However, I decided against the campground in Nelson, as a camper on the North Island had recommended the Tahunanui Beach Holiday Park to me. It is located in a very nice place, with a walk-in camping area right on the beach for only 10 dollars. Tomorrow, we will embark on the first leg of the Great Taste Trail through wine regions, orchards, and coastal areas, and the weather is set to be really good. Hopefully, it will live up to the weather forecast for the next few days.