On the Way to Wellington

Kaikoura

We have just been to a nieces wedding in Kaikoura. What a wonderful time, but to get there was no mean feat.

We live in the Waikato in the central north of the North Island of New Zealand; Kaikoura is on the upper Eastern side of the South Island. There is the Cook Strait in between.

On Wednesday, a little later in the day than we had hoped, we set off on our way south for the (477 km, 6 hours 7 mins via State Highway 1) drive to Wellington where we had booked to travel on the Blue Bridge ferry early the next morning.

Fortunately the traffic for a middle day of the  week of the holidays, was not too busy, so we made good time.

Mt Ruapehu

One would usually take a pic of the mountains on the Tongariro Plateau

but I also took some of the plateau as we raced through on the desert road.

Then we were on the bit of road I find almost boring as it doesn't have many towns and you drive for ages seeing the same sort of thing. Except it you are lucky you can glimpse the  Rangitikei River.

After a good few hours our travel led to more familiar roads (We used to live in Wellington) and were reminded of the care needed on the roads.

 

Overtaking lanes on both sides of the road here are closed due to a recent fatal road accident.
This created a bottle neck jam and at times, quite a way back, we were driving at a snails pace.




On to the Kapiti Coast and more views that are from my childhood even.

Kapiti Island off the coast from Paekakariki

Then over the hill and down to the harbour of Wellington.
A cruise ship was going out but not for us. We are due out tomorrow morning early on a smaller ferry.

I wasn't too sure about it as the sea was looking rough and this is in the calm of the harbour!

We met with Theresa and Steven at their apartment for a lovely roast lamb tea and then up to my brother's (who were letting us use their place) for the night, setting the alarm for 5.30am.

What a welcomed place of rest 

Please note that most of these pictures were taken in our vehicle, as Harry doesn't like stopping often on the drive, so the foregrounds are a bit blurry!