Wellington Strait (Cook) to Picton

On our first day to Wellington we had the pleasure of being escorted by Rachel, now a full time resident and travel guide. The journey began with a very efficient train ride downtown which took all of maybe 15 minutes and a $5 one way ticket. A ride up the cable car is a must and if you don’t know by now, a trip to the botanical gardens is always on the itinerary. The Marori culture is evident everywhere and it is strongly embraced and practised. Biculturalism takes on a very strong presence everywhere. It is recognized and respected much more here than at home with our indigenous peoples. We had just missed New Zealand's national Waitangi Day, which is celebrated on February 6th. This day commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. It continues to be a very controversial subject but the treaty is still honoured and the basis for their constitution. We were feeling comfortable enough to get around without the help of our trusted guide, so on day two we ventured out on our own. Back on the train we headed back into the very modern and extremely clean capital of the country. I tried to book a tour to get into the Bee Hive which is the nickname for their parliament buildings. Unfortunately it was sold out but I made reservations for our return visit in approximately a month. Wellington has one of the most impressive museums we have had the pleasure of visiting. The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa which translates to “our container of treasured things and people that spring from mother earth here in New Zealand” is a wonderful interactive experience for both young and old. We spent the better part of the day there with a reward of drinks and dinner on the harbour front. Reminiscent of many harbour promenades, it reminded me of both Halifax and Cape Town but I guess that can be said of any harbour front in any major cty. Maori canoes and sail boats share the bay equally with both cruise ships and inter island ferries An additional ship in harbor was the controversial enviromental ship the The Sea Sheperd. Previously it was captained by the flambouyant Paul Watson who campaigned against illegal poaching and whaling.There was a definite vibe and the sunny afternoon just added that extra WOW factor to the setting. The following day, we again engaged the services of our resident guide and the order of the day was a short hike at a local nature reserve to a small waterfall (See Video)followed by lunch of course and a couple of frothy drinks.

Tomorrow is an early rise and a 3 ½ hour ferry ride across the Cook Strait to Picton. The forecast is for light winds and sunny skies. I hope the Gods are looking favorably down on us. We will pick up our car and do the one hour drive to Nelson to meet up with our friends Eric and Sue who will be flying in from Auckland. It will be a combined effort doing a self drive around the south island together for the next 10 days. Nau Mai!!