SOUTH ISLAND - COOK STRAIT

The morning after Steve's party (good planning on our part?) Nick and Lin dropped us off in Thames for the 9.25a.m. bus to Hamilton. We would arrive in Hamilton 10 minutes before our connecting bus to Wellington, arriving there at 8.15p.m. Travelling by bus was a fun way to see the scenery and relax! (It made frequent loo and food stops too.)
 We were headed for the South Island for the next 3 weeks. We had a hire car booked for 22 February in Picton and an overnight stay on 20 February in Downtown Backpackers in Wellington (see later blog on Wellington),  before catching the Bluebridge ferry at 1.15p.m. on 21st. for the 3 hour crossing.

Everyone we'd spoken to about the crossing over the Cook Strait had raved about it....and they weren't exaggerating. The sun was shining, the sky was cloudless, and the sea was calm (not a 'given' every day on this route). The first half of the crossing is on open sea but then the ferry slowly negotiates the narrow channels of the Marlborough Sounds with its bays, inlets, islands and peninsulas.
Even a professional photographer would be pushed to capture anything near to the full beauty of the place. Even video struggles  really to convey the sheer scale of the beauty of the scenery. So here are some of the pictures we took, BUT if you ever get the chance to do this trip yourself it's one not to be missed.

Steve was almost blown over by the wind.

 

Picton coming into sight.