The South Island

We headed from the ferry to a free campsite about an hour or so away. The moon was so brilliant that we could see the mountains and fields and vineyards we were driving past and everything felt so quiet and prehistoric. We drove and drove and drove out to the absolute middle of no where- through fields and past fences into Mt. Rushmore Alpine Forest and we never actually made it to the campsite. We had to guerilla camp about 2 kilometers away as poor Adi doesn't have 4WD and was struggling with the terrible gravel roads we'd already done - never mind the river and rocks ahead! We made a campfire before finally going to sleep.

When we woke in the morning we discovered that the small river we parked next to was crystal clear and the mountains were filled with miles of beautiful pine trees. I made a fire to boil tea and soon discovered that there were gigantic bees everywhere! We were so secluded from people and just spent the morning enjoying the peace and quiet and sunshine.

Wellington and The Inter Island Ferry

After we left Foxton Beach we had an enjoyable sunny drive down to Wellington, complete with some Salvation Army shopping and cold drinks from tiny towns along the way. The weather was amazing and we were excited to see Wellington. I'd be told that Wellington was much like Portland or Seattle and that I would love it. I'd say that Wellington is more like San Francisco and Portland had a baby and that I am in love with it.

We only had half a day in Wellington and since the weather was perfect, Mike, Dan and I strolled around the Botanical Gardens while Tim fetched some groceries for our ferry ride that night. We had some good discussions about equality, feminism, and LGBT rights. It was interesting to hear the boys opinions and sometimes a little frustrating but our discussion was handled with grace and I'm grateful that it was a mature discussion that everyone left on a positive note. I think Dan and I discuss things in a simliar manner and I enjoy seeing what he thinks about certain topics Pre-College Years. The gardens were fantastic: there were so many beautiful trees and it was kind of humurous how many times we would be in the middle of a heavy discussion and we would just start taking photos or climbing trees without stopping what we were talking about. I hugged and kissed many trees and the views of the city were great.

Afterwards, we spent time looking for and finally finding a place with computers and internet and briefly caught our mothers on Skype (hi mom!). We rushed off to the Inter Island Ferry which was absolutely awesome. Our Ferry ride was about 3 and a half hours long and began at 6:30pm so we caught an epic sunset as we arrived in the sounds of the South Island. We shared seats and a table with a chatty and interesting Canadian couple, Deb and John, who are traveling the world together and doing many tramping tracks throughout New Zealand. They are both professors and have taken a whole 14 months off from work (which Deb was able to do over a 5 year plan where she received 80% of her paycheck for 4 years and then the remaining 80% her 5th year while traveling). We chatted,ate tuna fish sandwiches, read up about Nelson, and laughed at the Jungle Book playing on the television.

As we entered the sounds of the South Island during the end of sunset, I returned up to the Top Deck of the ship (floor 9) to enjoy the weather, the sunset, and the incredibly green sight of the South Island. I felt as if I was entering Jurassic Park (Mike: "If I were the Captain of this ship I would play Jurassic Park. Hey kids, what's down there in the holding cell? There's a reason we have so many sheep on this ship!"). Tim, Dan, and I chatted with an American father from Arizona (maybe the 5th American I've met down here) who moved to Nelson, New Zealand a year and a half ago with his family when his wife got a job down here. The lights of Picton were shining as we pulled into port, rushed to the car, and set foot on South Island land! Yes!

Now we just needed to find a campsite...