By the time we arrived in Picton we checked into Tombstone Backpackers and was ready for a chilled few days before catching the ferry over to the North Island. Our drive from Nelson to Picton was through the Marlborough Sounds and we were close to the Queen Charlotte Track so we spent one afternoon walking pàrt of it and enjoying a good old walk with a packed lunch. The backpackers was one of the nicest we´d stayed in and so we all enjoyed the free hot tub and the grassy area to chill out on and catch some ray; we´d had a hectic few weeks so far!

The 3 hour ferry crossing was pretty smooth although we´d all prepared ourselves with seasickness tablets just in case. As we drove off the ferry in Wellington we were surprised at the difference in scenery on the North Island. It had been a good few weeks since we´d seen a motorway or even a dual carriageway however we mananged to get our way out of the city and onto highway 1 north. We had a long drive ahead of us but Ah and I took it in turns and within 4 hours we had arrived in Turangi. We only made a brief stop here for sleep and food before heading to Rotorua the following day.

Although the weather seemed similiar the the South Island, we were beginning to learn how different the North was to the South. As we arrived in Rotorua we sat down and decided how we would spend the next few days. We all agreed it would be a shame to come to New Zelaand without experiencing some of the Maori culture so that we did.