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We were up before 7 this morning in order to be at the ferry terminal to get the 9o'clock ferry to Picton on the South Island. This was a big ferry holding 1600 people,their cars, camper vans, trailers and lorries. The wind was still fierce and no sooner had we left the quay than the captain announced it would be rough for the early part of the journey.
As we exited the harbour into the Cook straits, the sea was breaking with enormous 20 foot waves. These came over the top of our 10 deck ferry and our van parked at the back of the boat was soon getting wet. When a boat of this size slams after coming off the top of a wave you are glad not to be in a yacht!
The crossing was uneventful although hard work to move around, avoiding bodies lying everywhere.
The sun was out all day and we decided to take the picturesque coastal route and had a splendid walk recommended to us by the Murray's along Queen Charlotte sound. Tonight we are staying at the most remote spot of the trip so far in Okiwi Bay. This involved driving for miles along very windy roads, very much like the road to Hana. We arrived at 6:15 to find the site full, just as we are about to leave they discover a spare corner for us. We are crammed into an area about the size of our garden along with dozens of other tents, hundreds of kids, dogs and their parents. It is a cross between "the Waltons" and Flying Start goes camping mixed up with a refugee camp. Our nightly stays are getting more interesting and I have just spotted a place called grumpys retreat. I feel we have to go.
That's all for now campers!
Good night John boy.
- comments
Kate Sounds great fun. I heard that the Wellington to Picton ferry holds the honour of the commercial ferry that travels the roughest stretch of water in the world. I had a similar experience, The day before Lorries had burst their retaining straps and the ferry came in at such a list the captain thought it would over-turn... but its survived... the flooded cars squashed by lorries didnt!