Spent a few days heading south after farewelling Chris and finally made it to wellington and our Bluebridge Ferry crossing. I had done a “big sell ” with Barb somehow convincing her that it would be a cool adventure to take a night crossing . The ferry departs at 2.30 am however if you book a cabin they let you board at about 11 pm and you can head off to your cabin for a nice sleep. Great theory but Barb has never been a morning person and found the whole thing about having to get up at about 6am and appear cheerful a real trial – saw her first smile when we stopped for coffee at Kaikoura.

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Our destination for the day was Hanmer Springs where we will stop for 2 nights. The route was the inland road from Kaikoura . A back road that drops in and out of some steep River valleys. A cold southerly blow has dropped some unseasonal snow on the tops giving a bite to the air after all the high temperatures of the last few days.

Didn’t expect to need to be using our diesel heater so early in the summer – but we need to now. Sleeping is better in this cooler clime – back into cuddle zone😉

First sight of the South Island on dawn as the door drops open in Picton

view from our site in Hanmer Springs