NZ/Aus Day 10: We're on a Boat!

Just before the meltdown...

We were up before the sun on Day 10 to get all packed up for our travel day ahead. By 9 am we were aboard the Interislander ferry and on our way to the North Island. We snagged seats on the sundeck and watched the views unfold as we exited Marlborough Sound.

Baby's was unimpressed at first. She took one look at the water and cried then proceeded to pull her blanket up over her head and ignore the situation. She ended up sleeping peacefully in her stroller for about an hour before she needed to be fed. We took advantage of the ship's nursing room before we hit open water and the waves picked up. Craig held down the ship, as it were, in regards to wildlife watching and appreciating the gorgeous scenery. It wasn't until Erin and Baby emerged from the cabin that an announcement shared that whales had been spotted in front of the boat. We joined the crowd to look but no one on deck seemed to see them. Erin did spot a group of dolphins feeding off the port side but they weren't close enough for a good look or picture.

When we entered the calmer waters around Wellington, more dolphins joined along side our boat, this time jumping out of the water and giving us a bit more of a show. We joined the queue to get ashore and were soon on our way to Martinborough.

The drive turned out to be more scenic than we expected, twisting and turning its way over a mountain pass. The hills were lush with wild forests, a welcome change from the monoculture tree farms we'd been seeing on the South. Another improvement was the road itself, this one wider, paved, and with frequent turnouts for slower moving vehicles. The hillside was so steep that if you looked back, the road was quickly enveloped and swallowed by trees, seeming like it was never there at all. Once we reached the valley floor, pastures and vineyards stretched out in front of us and we soon found our destination: a quaint French farmhouse overlooking a winery. Perfection! It was just the place to relax and serve as a launching point for the next day's adventures.

You really can have it all!