Saturday, April 17th, 2010
We woke up real early, had some corn flakes, and drove 5 mins to the ferry from our hostel (Downtown Backpackers).
I’ve never taken a vehicle on a ferry before, so it was quite surreal lining up in a queue of cars and driving into this gigantic opening in the back of an even more gigantic ship.
The ship (Interislander Ferry) is probably the coolest form of transportation I’ve ever taken. It has 9 levels as well as on observation deck on top. It has bar, a diner, a convenience shop, two cinemas, a kids’ playground, and arcade games on board. I kept saying “Woww” each level I explored.
What made me even happier was the fact that after we set sail, I could barely feel the rocking of the ferry, the thing was too massive and the water was calm making it a very smooth ride. As you can tell by the pictures, the trip from the North to the South Island is ridiculously beautiful. When I first stepped out onto the observation deck and I saw a passing hill floating on blue water, I felt a chill run through me and then a calm feeling. See the pictures.
Arriving into Picton in the South Island, we got some info at the local Visitor Info Site (I-Site) and made our way straight to the famous Marlborough Wine Country to have some tastings (which Apo was very happy about). There, we were able to try some wine and I also had a chicken wrap that was good.
After that we made for Kaikoura (2 hours south), a famous spot for whale watching. The length of road right before Kaikoura is a winding mountain road, with your right being the mountain and your left the sea. I was driving, so I didn’t get a chance to take pictures, but it’s quite incredible to see mountains directly next to the sea.
After buying some groceries we checked into a local Holiday Park and were greeted by two hungry ducks. They kept hanging around our site, hoping for some scraps, but we didn’t give any. It was cute, but it made me feel a little bit sad that these once self-sufficient ducks are now beggars for human food. One could say that it’s a form of adaptation, a way to live with humans, but I still don’t like it.
Watched an episode of Gunbuster (almost finished with the series, there's only 6 episodes in the whole series!) and got ready for bed.
Sleeping in the car tonight. We bought a foam cushion at Warehouse (the, duh, warehouse/Costco-like store they have here) so it would be more comfortable sleeping in the back. It cost 30 bucks. Hella regret it now, I forgot about checking out a Salvation Army store or Second Hand shop first = (. Well, off to bed, fully clothed and in a sleeping bag =).
DT: Eating out 10.5 + Foam cushion 15 + body wash 2 + groceries 13.5 + holiday park 17.5 = 58.5 NZD
TS: 671.15 NZD
DA: 111.86 NZD
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