Caught the early morning ferry to the South Island. The two islands are only 15 miles apart but the crossing takes 3.5 hours because the boat has to manoeuvre out of Wellington Harbour, across the sea, and down through the Marlborough Sounds. It's meant to be one of the most spectacular crossings in the world when the sun is out, but it's also pretty good when it's cloudy (apart from the hour of heavy swell in the open sea).
Staying in Picton at the moment. It's pretty cold here with a strong southerly wind. Have had to go and buy some gloves! It seems like most houses, hotels, etc do not have central heating or double glazing, just a few electric heaters and an electric blanket. Hope the wind eases for our mountain biking tomorrow, otherwise it's going to be a bit of a battle.