Traveling to the South Island, NZ

New Zealanders say that the South Island is the most beautiful part of their country.  So in mid-January we set out to see for ourselves.  Nana (Erin's mom) joined us on our 10 day voyage south.

We drove 640km from Auckland to Wellington at the most southern tip of the North Island (in our small, old Subaru with paddle boards on top!).  We wanted to drive as it gave us a chance to see other areas of the North Island.

Wellington is the capital of NZ and is by far the windiest city!  When we arrived the wind was blowing at 40km/hr and mom says that there were reports of gusts at 110km/hr.  The car shook when we parked it, opening the car doors was a treacherous undertaking and at night our cement high rise hotel swayed a little.  One of the locals said that he has lived in Wellington all his life but that he does not live there for the weather!!

It is a shame really as it is a beautiful city with a busy harbour and quaint houses up on the hills.  It reminded us a little of San Fransisco.

We had a brief stay in Wellington before catching the InterIslander Ferry across Cook Straight to Picton, NZ on the northern tip of the South Island.  You can appreciate the ferry's route on the map below as it meanders through the majestic Queen Charlotte Sound (filled with islands).  For those from BC, it looks a lot like the gulf islands.  Luckily the seas were not too rough for our trip as I guess sea sickness can be quite a problem.

We stayed for 6 nights in a waterfront apartment in Picton complete with a hot tub barrel on the deck!