Oceania Trip - Day 5

My internal clock decided to wake me up at 0400 this morning - unfortunately, the sun took another two and a half hours to appear.  This did allow me to get a front row seat (outside my room with a harbor view) to witness the earliest signs of the dawn to the east of Picton Harbor.  The air was very humid and the clothes I’d washed hadn’t dried so I tried to use the hair dryer (mildly successful).  I had another nice cross breeze to enjoy while waiting - I was wide awake and raring to go by 0700.  Figuring that a least one restaurant was open, I walked down to the shopping/restaurant district and got some breakfast at a place called Seabreeze.  I ordered some pancakes (with banana and bacon topping) and sat at a table in the cool morning breeze - I had a great view of the harbor!  After getting my fill (the food was really good), I ambled down to the InterIslander Ferry offices. On the way, I passed a lady who identified herself as a Penguin Biologist.  We talked briefly and I learned that Korora (AKA Little Blue) penguins live in the harbor during the winter months and spend the rest of the year at sea,  She said I might see some of these penguins on the ferry crossing.  I next went inside the Terminal and found that I could leave on an earlier boat if I wanted (I didn’t) but could also check my bag early if I wanted to wait for the 1415 departure (more to my liking). Satisfied that I had several more hours to explore and get exercise, I sought out Queen Charlotte Drive so I could walk up to another harbor overlook (from the west side of town).  This place was mentioned in several travel books I'd read and I found the road pretty easily.  I was pleased to see there was a nicely maintained trail along pavement.  Like during my walk in Victoria Domain, the terrain rose quickly but the grades were easy.  I passed evidence of washouts along the road (from recent heavy rains) and chatted with some work crews.  Along the way, I encountered a weka bird (strange looking) but few people.  When I reached the viewpoint, I marveled at the vista below, especially how the sunlight worked its way through the Sound.  While there, I encountered a really interesting older couple (Richard and Tonia) who had driven up to the viewpoint before getting on the ferry.  They were lifelong residents of Christchurch (nearly 80 years!) who were completing a massive downsize and move to Auckland (to a retirement community) at the insistence of their children.  They were looking wistfully out over Queen Charlotte Sound - wondering, I suppose, if it was a good idea.  As all the other Kiwis have, they gave me lots of advice about places to visit. They tried to give me a ride back to town (I declined).  Even more importantly, though, Richard insisted on giving me one of his extra umbrellas (“it looks like rain”).  his was quite useful because my own was still in the lost suitcase. No question - they were very nice!  I next continued (alone) on the trail to the west, through damp woods, until I came out to another great viewpoint.  From there, I was able to see Shakespeare Bay, a major (active) logging port.  It was also possible, from there, to see evidence of the boundary of Kaipupu Sanctuary (a wildlife refuge).  With rain imminent, I walked back to town (arrived at my hotel by 0915).  I requested a later check out from my room and was allowed to stay until 1030.  This gave me a chance to do more clothes drying, relax in the cool cross breeze and plan my next moves.  When it was time to leave, I checked out of the Harbor View Motel and walked back to the ferry terminal.  On the way, it started to rain and I was able to use my fancy (it had a rugby team logo on it) umbrella! At 1100, I checked my bag (but waited to check my umbrella) and then walked a short distance to the Edwin Fox Museum, which housed a historic sailing vessel.  I learned that the ship was the only one left from the times of the Convict Transportations to Australia and New Zealand - it was built in India in the 1850s and had a long, colorful career.  Before leaving, I actually got with walk inside the "Edwin Fox" itself - it had definitely seen better days but had a long story to tell!  The museum definitely have me a new appreciation for those hardy souls who populated the Far Side of the World... Since I still had time left after the museum, I walked across the street to check out the Waitohi Sports Bar. I’d noticed yesterday that they had a “Wine Lounge” and I discovered that they were actually talking about an automated kiosk that allowed patrons to sample up to 24 different wines.  Once inside (1200), I had to charge up a special “debit card” and was ultimately able to try three pours of red wines from New Zealand: Landmark Series Pinot Noir (Marlborough), Trinity Hill Syrah (Hawkes Bay) and Jackson Estate Homestead Pinot Noir (Marlborough) - they were all great!  During this time, I heard from Air New Zealand about how they’d found my lost luggage - after a series of texts, emails and calls, I was able to coordinate a reunion with the bag at the Adina Apartments in Auckland.  I also set up the details for a meet up in Wellington with a distant relative (with the same surname) for the following day.  Before leaving the Waitohi Sports Bar, I ordered some fries to go and walked over to the ferry terminal (1300).  Once there, I checked my umbrella and went upstairs to the passenger waiting area,  While waiting, I managed to communicate with my Wellington hotel and figure out the best way to get there.  At 1345, we started boarding the ferry "Kaitaki."  Once onboard, I explored many of the decks, looking for good views.  We departed at Picton (South Island) 1415 and started our journey through Queen Charlotte Sound to the Cook Strait.  I watched this transit from both Deck 7 and Deck 10 and marveled at the navigational skill required to “thread the needle” between the many islands and other boats.  On the way, we passed many rocky peninsulas that were the backdrops for people’s beautiful homes.  With the weather constantly improving, I got amazing views of  picturesque farmland, verdant forests and prolific mussel “farms”. I’d heard that I might get to see dolphins, whales, seals and penguins during the voyage but wasn’t so lucky... The weather constantly improved but the wind speed increased to 30 knots during the transit.  By the time we entered the open ocean, I went below (they closed the observation decks soon afterwards).  For the next few hours, I relaxed and read my book in the sparsely populated areas, waiting until we arrived in Wellington (North Island).  Before the snack bar closed (1645), I picked up some dinner to go and then went back on deck and enjoyed the scenery as we entered the harbor.  The ferry docked a bit earlier than I’d expected (1730) and I was able to get my bag and umbrella from the baggage claim with no difficulty.  I then (1745) took a free InterIslander Shuttle Bus from the ferry terminal to the train station.  After checking on the location where I'd be getting on the "Northern Explorer" (train), I started walking to "The Marion" (my lodging for the night).  It was already dark but I was glad that it still wasn’t raining (a big storm was forecasted),  As a result, I had no trouble staying dry and was able to look around at places I passed, including some really interesting shopping and eating establishments, as well as some nice museums.  I hope I get to try some of them out before I leave!  It took about 20 minutes to reach my youth hostel in the heart of the CBD. It started to rain right after I checked in (1830).  I'd reserved a private room that had bunk beds and a shower room down the hall.  After getting changed, I went downstairs to eat my dinner in the common area.  The kitchen set up was amazing, with little bins for food storage in the refrigerators, multiple stoves and sinks, dishes and utensils.  Lots of young people were cooking delicious food and sitting together in groups - it felt great to able to enjoy a warm, dry environment, full of youthful, adventurous spirits!  I thought that I was the oldest person staying overnight but then noticed two older people who I’d actually seen earlier on the ferry.  They ended up being a couple from the UK and I ended up talking to them for a bit about their vacation.  After that, I sat down to eat my dinner, which was a chicken and bacon croissant, chased by something called a Lime Slice (crumbled cookies on top and bottom of a lime filling).  Both were good and I felt full after adding a cup of hot chocolate.  I went exploring in The Marion after that and concluded that Booking.com had given me a good recommendation yet again.  Spent the rest of the evening in my room, drying clothes, reading and writing.  I went to bed at around 2200, feeling really good about navigating through some beautiful scenery and transportation logistics during the last 48 hours.  I’ve got a full day in Wellington tomorrow, which should be interesting, and one more leg of public transit (to reach Auckland) on Friday!