The ferry to the North Island leaves from Picton, deep inside a huge fjord with lots of islands and inlets. To reach our hostel in Picton, it seems like we drove endlessly up rivers and the long way around small bays. We got there in the evening to catch an early morning ferry so that we'd have time to see some of Wellington and reach our hostel near Tongariro before too late. Also, the inconvenient hours for the ferry are cheaper. However, because most people rent cars from Auckland and drive south, the rental car companies gives discounts to people who drive them back to Auckland, so the rental company paid for much of the ferry.
Sailboat on Queen Charlotte Sound, near Picton, South Island
Last view of the South Island
Dolphins splashing beside the ferry
No good pictures of Wellington. We spent more time than we planned in the Te
Papa Museum, right on the waterfront devoted to New Zealand natural history and anthropology. I really liked this lighted physical geographic floor map of New Zealand.
Because we stayed so long in the museum, we were then in a hurry, trying not to get distracted by all the beaches we passed by. Finally, we stopped at Whangnui just to stretch our legs. We walked along the river, through a park with a memorial to a Maoris who served in WWI, and through the small, historic downtown. We had decided to eat some leftover picnic food in the car, but we passed a fish & chip shop that smelled so good we couldn't resist. It turns out that there was a long wait, but we enjoyed talking to the locals and the fish was great. Later we found out that this fish & chip is rated the best in New Zealand.
Historic paddlewheeler on the river on the Whanganui River
Jennifer next to a shaggy tree in Whanganui memorial park
Driving along the Whanganui River to Tongariro
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