Day 10 NZ Wed April 13


No wake up call…again. I suppose it’s fitting. There’s a kind of symmetry to it, both our first and last mornings in the South Island started with no wake up call. Luckily this time, Kit woke early to do her hair, so no drama.

After admiring the hanging baskets of Nelson and learning that Trafalgar park was the first place in NZ where rugby was played we headed north towards Picton and the ferry terminal.

Chris the driver says he has put almost 3000kms on the clock. He wouldn’t be more exact than that because we have to guess the total mileage at the end of the trip. We had a short stop at Havelock aka ‘The Green Lip Mussel Capital of New Zealand.’ We missed the annual Mussel festival by one month (March 19). Didn’t see any samples of mussels around and haven’t come across any on the menu except once. I had some with a fish dish, over cooked and flavourless. I sprayed myself and the hotel carpet with the accompanying fish trying to wrench the mussel meat out of the shell.

Havelock's green lip mussels on the roof.  

Musical toilet. 

We arrived at Picton in full sunshine only to find the ferry hadn’t. We had an extra hour to kill until it showed up. We patronised the musical toilet on the wharf, mooched around an overpriced junkshop, which had the nerve to call itself an antique shop. I called Melvin telling him of the delay. I’m dining with him and his wife and children tonight instead of eating at our hotel.





We’ve started calling Ray, the tour leader’s partner, Pakanui ever since we learnt it meant big stomach. (‘Nui ‘ is big in the Maori language.) You can guess why. He takes it in good part.

A typical Wellingtonian house clinging to the hil.   l

Arrival in Wellington: after a quick shower and change I was ready to go out. Melvin and Karen picked me up and took me to their home. It is 15 years since I saw them and I’d never met their children. Spent a delightful evening getting to know them and meeting the guinea pigs. (You'll have to see the video. I forgot to take still photos.)

The North Island tour begins in earnest tomorrow.