Day 5 - I'll Follow The Sun

Day 5 – I’ll Follow The Sun

Up at 6 and off to the South Island and to meet our guide John.  Another windy rainy day, out oby 7, arriving at the ferry way too early – but that is what we do.   Crossing the Marlborough Straits was fine – though they said the seas were rough the boat swayed gently from side to side. This is not the Staten Island Ferry – it is huge, 11 decks tall with cars and trucks and rail cars on board as well all kinds of amenities.

We settled in at a table inside and continued our gin game – begun at JFK. We play gin when we travel beginning 10 years ago. We play during the game and tally up at the end.

Anyway – early on the boat, we of course wanted to be early off.  As soon as the boat stopped we went down to the level indicated for debarking. Nope – too early – they sent us back up 2 decks.  Then first call came – we went down again – Nope again,  first call was only for those going back to their vehicles – back up 2 decks.  Finally we got off to some mean windy weather but were met by cheery John who helped us fetch the luggage, loaded the van, got us all boarded and provided home baked brownies, baked by his wife and business partner Sally.  A short review of the day’s itinerary and we literally were off to follow the sun.  Rumor (and the weatherman) had it the west coast was sunny so that’s where we went. We could see the end of the clouds and pointed the car in that direction.

On our the way we passed a wine area of New Zealand and the grape vines were turning colors of trees in October in New England.  Fields of green and yellow on both sides of the road.

We stopped at Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park for a fjord-like view of distant mountains and our picnic lunch of sandwiches and a new fruit, feijoa. There was a group of Mallard ducks that came right up to the van – some male, some female with one set of feathers of each side ranging from bright teal to purple. We followed the Buller River through the Wairu River Valley and raced to see the Pancake Rocks at Pakaiku.  Got there a little late for good light so we will go back early in the AM.

Tonight we have a full 2 bedroom 2 bathroom house to ourselves.  Kitchen, living room with gas fireplace, WiFi, etc.  Both bedrooms have full glass windows (or a door) that look out directly to the Taznman sea.

Dinner at pub followed by a lesson on the southern sky (Southern Cross, Orion’s Belt, Milky Way) and then a quiet evening in the living room.