My exploration of the North Island of New Zealand was done. I had to leave Lake Okataina early in the morning to catch the afternoon ferry in Wellington. I had underestimated the difficulty of driving here when I made my reservations months before from Boulder and this day I had a 7 hour drive to get to the ferry that would take me to the South Island. With a lot of concentration on the drive I was able to get to the terminal with a little time to spare.
After driving on, they get going right away. I got a beer and hung out on the top deck for most of the three and a half hour ride. It was actually quite pleasant, they even had the a theater playing the new Star Wars movie. I arrived in the town of Picton on the South Island and found my hotel, twelve hours after leaving Okataina.
The next day I was antsy to get a hike in and found a, out of the way beach about two hours south of Picton. There was a mountain overlooking the ocean nearby but it had no track up it. I climbed it anyway, with only minor bushwhacking. It was kind of cool to hike off the standard tourist areas and I was rewarded with a great view (below) when the mist cleared on the summit.
Back at the car I had lunch and prepared for long drives over the next few days. I planned to get to the southern tip of the South Island months before a and was determined to get there. Arrived in Christchurch later that day, about two days before a big earthquake. I was glad to have missed that one.
Finally made the ferry terminal, in time
Top of unnamed, untracked coastal mountain on the northeast shore of the South Island
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