Waking at 5.30 am, it wasn't worth risking returning to bed. Out at 6am..to a clear sky, stars and a quarter moon on the quarter year. By the time we boarded the Bluebridge ferry at 7.30 dawn was arriving...twelve hours daylight to go.
A light breakfast on the ferry, then a quick right turn out onto the Cook Straight and we left the smooth waters of Queen Charlotte Sound. As we rounded the point into the last run into Wellington the ferry was surrounded by a pod (?) of porpoises.They were jumping around the bow, leaping at the side and diving under the ship.
We had a three hour break in Wellington, time for a leg stretch, shopping in the organic stores on Wakefield Street by the Youth Hostel and coffee in Zuma next door. Walking through streets like canyons, school groups in "crocodiles" after trips to Te Papa museum, hordes of shoppers and students...after three hours we'd had enough!
We did see the biggest wooden building in the world..once the government building, now part of Wellington University.
Next was a three and a half hour intercity bus ride, which sounds a lot, but the seats are comfortable enough, the driving good, the driver's humour typical Kiwi...dry...
The trip's highlight was meeting Pohangina Pete, a fellow blogger, at the bus stop in Palmerston North.
I'd hoped for more than a ten minute stop, as we had had half an hour on the way South..but it wad great to meet for real and maybe we can get to Pohangina before we leave.
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