South Island – North Side
Leaving Wellington, we took a ferry to Picton on the South Island, a 3-hour crossing. We had a beautiful day and calm waters which made for a pleasant journey. From Picton we drove to Takaka, stopping along the way for a great lunch of mussels. Near Takaka we were hosted for two nights by a father and son. From there we were able to enjoy walks along the beach near Farewell Spit, a long thin strip of land separating Golden Bay from the ocean.
From Takaka we drove to Blenheim, stopping for lunch with friends of friends in Nelson. They treated us to a wonderful meal at the Sigfried Winery. We spent 2 nights in Blenheim located in the large Marlborough wine area. We enjoyed a morning hike up some nearby hills and another fine lunch at the Wither Hills Winery. We had a self-catering unit in Blenheim; so our other meals were more mundane and not worthy of photos! One evening we were treated to a beautiful rainbow and sunset.
