Today was a perfect day for a ferry ride from Wellington to the South Island. The sun was out, the Cook Strait was calm, the scenery was stunning. The landscape reminded me a little of the British Columbia coast on a lovely day.
The ferry arrived in Picton on the South Island though our final destination today was Nelson. The ferry threaded its way up a narrow inlet to a town that had the feel of an artsy summer retreat. We stopped for lunch and then headed out in our OAT bus for Nelson, an artsy town peopled to a greater extent than usual by former hippies. Does that ring a bell, British Columbians? (Nelson, BC is also an artsy town peopled with former hipppies. Sister cities in spirit perchance?)
When we crossed the Cook Strait, we also crossed the intersection of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. In 2016, an earthquake moved the South Island 7 metres closer to the North Island. Like Vancouverites who live close to a major fault, Kiwis are philosophical about the big one. If it gets you, it does. If not, hurray! Here’s a map of the earthquakes New Zealand has experienced in the last 3 weeks alone! Most are not felt, but they still were shakers.
A 2-hour bus ride brought us to our home in Nelson. Our hotel is the Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco. I don’t usually advertise where we stay but this place is a little different. We all have two bedroom, two bathroom townhouses with patios and kitchenettes. Too bad we’re only here for two days! 🙂
Leave a Reply