Day 49 Ferry Crossing. Take 2

Everyone in my dorm was checking out this morning so all our alarms went off at the same time – and in case you were wondering it’s a very weird and startling experience being woken up by 6 alarms all chiming and singing different songs at half 8 in the morning! Not one I’m in any rush to repeat. Although the girl across from me falling out of her bed in alarm was pretty funny…

Packing up your life is an art and I think I’m rather capable at now, as by 9 I was up, dressed and packed ready to go! I opted to forgo breakfast as my recollection of the last time I took the Cook Strait ferry had sadly not faded from my memory. The Ferry was, of course, running half an hour late, so me and Natalie went to sit in the sun and make the most of our last couple of minutes on the South Island.

The Ferry was a pleasant surprise. It was incredibly smooth, and I got through the three hours on board without feeling the slightest hint of motion sickness! Me Natalie and a lovely French girl whose names I cant remember for the life me, all walked into Wellington together as we all stayed at the same hostel in Picton and me and the french girl (who I've just had sushi with but still can't remember her name) are staying at the same hostel in wellington and both catching buses to auckland tomorrow!

The perfect spot outside the art gallery to eat sushi, read and soak up some rays!

After claiming my bed – an important ritual necessary for survival in hostels, I went into the centre of Wellington to book my bus up to Auckland and generally finalise the details of how I was going to get my suitcase back (a lot of taxis and running is going to be necessary) and and going to get the airport. After which I bought myself a book, I read the  second one in Hanmer where they had a little library, and so I found myself desperate to read the first one. While having a chat to the bookshop owener I came to the startling realization that once again I’d found myself sucked into a series of books that was likely going to take years to finish as the author, Patrick rothfuss, is apparently as bad a geroge martin for taking his time writing his books – as if I don’t spend enough of my time waiting for the so longed for next installment and trying to keep track of books im waiting to come out…

So after getting some sushi (finally) I settled myself in the sunshine outside the arts museum to read my book J

Wellington Harbour is just beautiful at night!

Day 32 Ferry & Regrouping

Today hasn’t been super interesting, we got up early, checked out. Or at least attempted to. Jacqui got the job she wanted up by Mt Cook and her boyfriend meaning she’s leaving Bunker’s for good tomorrow, and Albert and John are leaving on our ferry today so it was a weird sort of parting. Anyway John carried Albert’s bags for him down to the ferry and we all hugged and said our goodbyes – very strange to think we’ve only known each other a day or so! Bunker’s was the friendliest hostel by far where we all felt right at home, in part because of the amazing people but also the hostel itself which was relaxed and inviting.

  

The ferry was, once again, interesting. This time I just plugged my music in, sat outside and tried to not think about the great whites swimming beneath me, the salty spray drenching everyone on board and the feeling that the ship was hopelessly failing at it’s attempt to deliver us to dry land. A guy lost his hat, several people got completely and utterly drenched (Cara included), the luggage came loose from it’s ties as the sea was so rough we were all being thrown in the air, I nearly lost my backpack to the waves, George hit his head and looked green throughout the trip, Albert nearly fell over board... I think interesting is a good word to describe the trip.

An adorable little lamb at the farm

Once back in Bluff we had a minor problem getting the car, in that we lost the ticket we needed to pay and get the car out… After Cara had a few cross words with the woman we got it sorted though and headed back to Invercargill. We found Axel who had finally made it out of Queenstown (Queenstown in a black hole, you have to escape before it gets your claws into you! Half the people we met there had only planned to spend a night yet had been there for months) and he’d brought down three hitchhikers for good measure. We decided to go back to the farm we’d stayed at previously as a lot of the hostels were still booked up and we knew it was lovely there. After another BBQ we had a bit of an early night in our old 8bed room to ourselves and planned tomorrow’s adventure.

Tomorrow is another early start off to the Catlins!

Day 30 Stewart Island

Today's early start was well worth it as once we dragged ourselves out of bed we got to feed the animals on the farm! We each got a bottle to feed a lamb, who were adorable, then we got to feed the alpacas, the huge waddling hens, two super cute calves and finally George, the naughty goat! After that fun start to the day we said goodbye to the farm, it’s really friendly owners, the bikers we’d befriended as well as Invercargill and set off on the road to Bluff.

After a minor detour to a farmers market we got the miniscule town of Bluff which is situated on the very edge of the coast, it was here we parked the car, grabbed our backpacks and, which a rather large degree of hesitation, boarded the dreaded ferry.

I have to say the ferry wasn’t quite as bad as I’d feared. I think this is predominantly down to the fact even he guidebook bemoaned it’s horribleness. Don’t get me wrong it was pretty awful, possibly one of the worst trips I’ve ever been on as there were parts we were jumping up in the air constantly while waves went right over the top of the ferry. But I wasn’t sick and it was only an hour of the awful open sea before we managed to get in between some island and found some calmer waters.

After getting a little lost, which is an impressive feat considering the entire island has less than 400 people and the town is as big as a shoe box, we found our adorable hostel which makes you feel right at home with the addition of a no shoes inside policy, roaring log fire, free wine, internet, and a lovely atmosphere where everyone chats about their plans in the lounge

Once recovered from the ferry I set off on a walk hoping to get in some scenery and bird watching before the day was up. And once again I got completely lost. I should be used to tracks not being labled by now but I got about half way along my journey, the beginning big of which was perfectly sign posted, and then the path suddenly stopped at a road. After walking up and down this hill looking for some sort of sign for the continuing path I gave up and set off on a different track, which I'd been planning to do tomorrow. Long story short I walked for about 6hours doing every detour imaginable and now I need to figure our what to walk tomorrow since I was planning to do most of the tracks tomorrow!

I had a smudge on my camera lense that I didn't notice until I got back - so annoying

The beginning of my lovely well sign posted walk...

cheeky little parrot

Already Stewart island is living up to it’s reputation for me as the bird watching capital, as already I’ve seen two penguins, some mutton birds, diving pigeons, albatrosses (I can’t contain my excitement on this one) as well as some parrots, parakeets and several other robins and little birds that I don’t know the names of. 

a random golf course I stumbled across while looking for my path

The walk was really enjoyable but the vast majority was through the bush, which I do enjoy but I prefer walks where you're rewarded with some sort of view at the top of each hill instead of more tress laid out ahead. I did manage to catch a couple of glimpses of the shore every now and again though

This single picture seems to summarise my walk perfectly. I'm pretty sure I walked up the equivelent of ten years worth of stair climbing. I think I prefer painfully steep slopes. 

Just as I was on the homeward stretch I saw a signpost for yet another detour and so, obviously, I couldn't resist. Another half and hours walk saw me to the top of observation rock and I got some pretty beautiful views!

This little bird just sat there while I walked around the rock

This is one of my favourite pictures from today, I took it on my way back down to Oban after my walk

Tomorrow’s plans are dependent on the weather as it’s technically still spring so the weather is c.o.l.d. Or at least, it’s cold compared to what we’re used to now, it’s still a lot warmer than it is in the UK. I think I’m going to die of cold at Christmas!!

P.S Jackie, the lovely hostel manager, told us that if we go at dusk we could see little blue penguins climbing ashore and making the arduous journey through the rocky cliffs to their nests. So once it became dark we headed down and saw the incredibly funny and adorable penguins jump about on rocks! 

Day 6. The Ferry Crossing

Tonight is probably one of the last nights I’ll be able to get wifi as tomorrow we’re planning to head into Able Tasman and we’re probably going to be camping a lot and generally be in the middle of nowhere.

The day had a slightly rocky start with the ferry being delayed meaning we had to buy another coupon for the car, on the plus side it meant we had more time to enjoy and explore wellington, we went to this lovely Italian-inspired café and had some hot chocolates as it was drizzly and grey in Wellington today.

 The hot chocolate was basically liquid chocolate. 

After pottering in some music shops (I got to play the flute again which was really good since I can’t even remember the last time I played, probably last Christmas and it was surprisingly how much came back to me and yet how slow my fingers felt! Definitely out of practice).

We decided to go to the Ferry early and it’s a very good thing we did! We went to turn Bernard on and he started juddering and stopped twice just pulling out of the parking space! I got George to pop the bonnet and (because I found a Mitsubishi Diamante car manual in a used bookshop a few days ago and read it while waiting for Axel) I knew how to check the oil and a few other bits and pieces (like the windscreen wipers which we couldn’t figure out, and how to open the boot... you know unimportant things like that).  Anyway when I checked the oil I realized we had barely any in, and I mean the stick was pretty much completely clean! Luckily we had Axel who I went with to the nearest petrol station and bought some oil. Once we put the oil in Bernard started up good as new, and I’m hoping that that’s maybe why Bernard went through fuel so quickly? Wishful thinking I know.

(And once again I’m going to have to tell Mum she’s right, before we set off she told me to check the tire pressure, oil, and water, and to make sure we had a blanket in the car. And so you know, I’ve checked the other two things and I think they’re all good – always listen to Mum is the moral of this story)

Our incredibly healthy lunch right there...

 Not a bad view from the car while we waited 

The queue we were in  and houses which have an amazing view 

Anyway we got the ferry, eventually, and had to wait nearly an hour, the view was pretty beautiful though so it wasn’t too bad. Once we finally got on board the ferry wasn’t too bad either, only a little seasickness. The best bit is we SAW DOLPHINS on the way to the South Island!

 Our first glimpse of the South Island 

 A small salmon farm that we passed

and it was just before this photo that we saw the dolphins!

We’ve checked into Sequoia Lodge now, and it’s adorable! It’s just like a home and the woman that runs it is lovely. We got free chocolate pudding and ice cream as she does that every night, there’s also free wifi, a hot tub, free parking, a BBQ and lots of other bits and pieces that she’s done to make you feel at home. We’re all kind of sad we’re only staying one night – so sad infact we’re tempted to stay another night!

P.S Quote of the day, George to Axel, 'you're so boring you don't want a hot water bottle'