We were sad to check out of the Tin Hut and leave Blenheim today. The accommodation was wonderful and the wineries were calling us to explore further. We couldn’t help wishing that we had stayed at least another day. This is becoming a theme for this trip.

We had to check in for the ferry from Picton to Wellington no later than 1:15. It’s only half an hour to drive to Picton, but traffic and roadworks can cause significant delays, so we arrived early and wandered around town. It is a pretty little town nestled between green hills.

There was a small open air market for tourists, so we had a pleasant stroll in the sun. One of the stalls was named “The White Wabbit” which had been the name on the house next door to The Tin Hut. Sure enough, it was the same place, selling original watercolors and prints. What are the odds? Of course, we had to buy some.

The seas were calm, but even so, you could definitely feel the boat rolling gently. We were very glad it wasn’t a stormy day. The landscape changed dramatically as we went along. This seems to be another theme in New Zealand. I’ll post a few taken pictures from the ferry to give you an idea.

Before we knew it we were sailing into Wellington harbour.

We are spending five nights in Wellington, visiting with Duncan and Sarah. They have been living here for almost a year now, so they have lots to show us. We started tonight with a lovely meal at a restaurant with small plates for sharing. The meal was fabulous, but then we had a very steep walk back to the wonderful place Jan found for us in Wellington. We are going to get a lot of practice with hills…