Picton
The last 45 minutes of the ferry trip were stunning views of the channel and our arrival in Picton. Its simple beauty is breathtaking. Picton is small and lovely. The people, like in most of NZ we’ve seen, are friendly and easy to talk with. The early morning has us worn and hungry so we have a burger and a beer and then head around the corner to check into our hotel. I guess the trip wore both Lisa and I out a bit so we take a nap and we nap well. We wake and crawl out to orient ourselves and grab a bite. We visit a market and get some extra food for the car drives we’ll be doing later. We have dinner at the “Barn Café and Bar”; excellent steak and pumpkin soup. It is another delicious meal in a kind and casual setting. We’ve decided to relax and get up early to hike. Till tomorrow… 1/15 Wednesday There is a peninsula that runs from the harbor and out to the right. It’s an approximately 4 hour round trip hike. With lots of sunscreen applied, hats, packs and water bottles we set out. It is a beautiful day; the clearest we’ve seen yet… no clouds. From high atop the peninsula we watch the large ferryboats arrive and depart. The view is spectacular. Around every corner is another piece of the Marlboro Sound exposed. We see many hidden bays and watch the boat traffic move between them. The hike is a great highlight we get lots of pictures and a great workout, which we both were craving. Once back at the hotel we hustle to catch lunch at the Allen Scott Winery in Blenheim just south of Picton. We heard about the place having a nice restaurant. We sit, relax and enjoy a bottle of Chardonnay and a deli/relish tray. Very nice, very tranquille. We sat next to the fountain under a trellis, which has very mature grape vines covering the top, giving excellent shade and adding ambience to our meal. Once back at the hotel we do a couple loads of laundry, relax and catch dinner at the hotel.