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Picton and Wellington
Days 114, 115 and 116
After a 2 hour bus journey we arrived in Picton and the rain was hammering it down. Luckily the guesthouse (Sequoia Lodge) were kind enough to pick us up, and once the skies had cleared we were able to take a walk into the town for some lunch. There wasn't alot to do other than take to the walking tracks or go on a cruise of the harbour, and as thunderous looking clouds were threatening we decided to just head back to the hostel and relax. We had only decided to stay in Picton as a stopover point before our ferry journey across to Wellington.
Our ferry left just after lunch, and onboard we were able to grab some seats, which gave us a good view for the journey. Once we had set off we realised why the crossing between Picton and Wellington has been named as one of the best ferry journeys in the world. The views were great as the ferry weaved through the Marlborough Sounds before reaching the open ocean. As we crossed the Cook Strait around 200 dolphins swam alongside the ferry, which provided good entertainment for the 3 hour trip. It was dark by the time we reached Wellington, and once we had checked into the YHA Central we headed out for dinner.
Wellington was quite small for a city, and as we woke to rain yet again we decided to head to the most famous tourist attraction the city had to offer, Te Papa Museum. We had been told the museum was one of the best around, and as it was free we thought we might as well check it out. We were glad we did, as the first few floors were really good, and interactive (unlike most of the other museums we have been to). One of exhibits allowed you to experience what an earthquake is supposed to feel like, as Wellington is hit by at least one small tremor a week. We also got to see the only preserved specimen of the Colossal squid (giant squid), the rib bones of a blue whale (which were huge), and a display about the giant eagle, which once roamed New Zealand feeding off the 7ft Moa bird (also now extinct). In the afternoon we had a walk around the harbour front and city as the sun had come out.
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