Arrived at our B&B in Kaiteriteri, where we were warmly greeted by our genial hosts, Diane and Martin, and we immediately felt at home with them and their lovely house ... and we now had WiFi, at last!

The Queen Charlotte Track is a 45 mile coastal path that runs along the length of the Queen Charlotte Sound. On this gloriously sunny day we walked the first 8 miles of the track - from Anakiwa to Mistletoe Bay. A slow climb up to a height of about 200m was followed by a quicker descent. Along the way there were several lovely coves and many beautiful views across the sound. We only just made it to Mistletoe Bay in time to catch the ferry back to Anakiwa. Phew!

Felt better today. Stayed at our base in the morning, catching up on diaries, blogs, postcards, washing, etc. Took a trip in the afternoon on a mail boat around the Queen Charlotte Sound and the Tory Channel. Postman Matt was our skipper, guide and postal worker. He described each of the families to whom he was delivering that day and even told us what was in their packages! Surely the customers would not be happy if they knew!? Matt also took us out to the his...

Awoke feeling a little better and hoping that I would be well enough to make the ferry crossing from Wellington, on the southern tip of the North Island, to Picton, on the northern edge of the South Island. An early start today: up before 6:00 to be able to check in at the required time. Droping off the hired car was very easy and right next to the ferry terminal. Ferry crossing was a breeze. A nice calm day. Picton is someway inland and is approached by channels...

Still in a bad way. Stayed in bed all day. Due to make the ferry crossing to the South Island the following but not feeling up to it. Symptoms didn't clear up so called out the paramedics. After running a battery of tests they confirmed that it probably was a stomach bug and that I had, perhaps, picked it up from the visit to the alpaca farm. Expect symptoms to clear within the next day or so.