Today, we said our goodbyes to the North Island of New Zealand. We were crossing by ferry to Picton, the picturesque port town that welcomes visitors to the South Island.

Day 69, Wednesday, November 13: On the ferry to Picton

The ferry terminal was relatively close to our hotel, so we could have a relaxing morning. Had time to make some sandwiches for lunch, read, edit photos. We checked out from the hotel at 10:45, and 20 minutes later were already waiting in line for the ferry. The Interislander ferries cross New Zealand’s Cook Strait, between Wellington, on the North Island, and Picton, on the South Island. Today, we were sailing on the Kaiarahi.

The long process of boarding started around noon. Half an hour later, we parked our rental car on deck 5. Found comfortable seating on deck 8, and were ready for the three-and-a-half-hour-long crossing.

Instead of 1 pm, the ferry left Wellington at 1:30. But we were finally on our way. We checked out the deck, but even though it was sunny, it felt quite windy for us, so we opted for our time inside. Steve was reading and napping, while I worked on some blogposts.

We were getting off the ferry in Picton a few minutes before 5. Drove to our motel, then walked to town in warmish, sunny weather.

Picton is the base for the ferries that link the two islands of New Zealand. One can watch the comings and goings of the sea here, and find many shops, galleries, cafés, and restaurants.

In search of where to have dinner, we chose an eclectic looking restaurant where Steve was even challenged by the chicken burger he ordered.

And we found a bakery that was more promising than the one in Whanganui a day before. We knew we were going to check it out the next morning.