Day 9 - Picton

The frantic pace of this adventure is starting to catch-up with us and with nothing on our “must do” list we had a very slow start (nearly missing breakfast!)

Picton is the gateway (ferry terminus) to the south island. Consequently there was a constant coming and going of ferries (two shipping companies). Roughly about half the length of Volendam, each ferry would approach the wharves at the end of Queen Charlotte Sound then swing under its own steam using a bow thruster and come alongside the roll-on roll-off wharf. Unloading of vehicles (from small cars to semi-trailers) and dozens of walk-on passengers would then occur within minutes of the ramps being lowered.





The small, picturesque township (population around 2000) was very busy with cruise passengers plus inter-island travellers either waiting for their turn to cross over to Wellington on the North Island or preparing to head south to Christchurch etc.



Ironically, the one thing the town did not excel at was Internet Facilities and what little that was available was painfully slow thus yesterday’s blog was only part completed on the day.

The township is also a mecca for recreational boating as well as having a robust water based tourism industry. The Maritime Museum also operated a small floatplane for scenic tours of the sound.



We took a bit of a hike up the nearby hill (centre of picture below) overlooking the end of the sound and the wharves and got talking to a young couple from the North Island who were travelling home after four weeks holiday down south.



The following flower was quite prolific along the pathway along with an apparently flightless bird which we need to look up when I get a chance back home.



On the outward journey in the late afternoon we called into Ship Cove to view (from the deck of the ship) the monument commemorating Cooks multiple visits to Princess Charlotte Sound during his voyages of discovery and the devastating realisation that the “Great South Land” was non-existent.

The ship (once again) was manoeuvred with tremendous precision into the small cove and was then swung through one and a half complete turns so that passengers with verandah cabins on both sides of the ship could see the monument.



The cruise north into Cook Straight was another highlight of this holiday. The scenery was spectacular and the weather was perfect.



So that we could visit Ship Cove, we took a longer route that the Interisland Ferries – they turn east part way along the sound and head out to sea using Tory Channel (see below).



Regular (dedicated) readers will no doubt be hanging out to find out about the state of the waters in the notorious Cook Straight. (I have attached evidence below in care you think I’m just making it all up.)

The fantastic weather and smooth seas we have enjoyed throughout this entire voyage so far have not let us down (again) and the crossing was almost a smooth and the run down Sydney Harbour! As we entered Wellington Harbour around 11:30pm, the star filled sky and still conditions were quite breathtaking - apart from the breeze created by the movement of the ship (around 25 km/h).



More tomorrow.