71km and a new addiction to gingernuts!

So after the BBQ at Sos's brother's house on Sunday we ventured into Wellington City Centre on Monday. We visited the Te Papa the national museum and ventured to the top of Mt. Victoria for fantastic views of the city! We were lucky to have such great weather, Wellington is known as the windy city and for us it was nothing but sunshine! If I'm ever in Wellington on a windy day I'm heading back up that hill to watch the planes land. Apparently if a pilot can land in Wellington on a bad day they can land anywhere! That evening Rach and I met up with Grant for a drink in an old St.John's Ambulance garage! And finished our day with dinner in an 80's bar, Electric Avenue! Next morning Rach and I were on the 3 1/2 hour ferry to Picton for the grand sum of 15pounds! The crossing was easy ( I had a kip on the deck and watched the end of goal!) and then we booked into Atlantis. A wicked hostel where we stayed for less than a fiver! As soon as we arrived in Picton we wanted to get things sorted for our 'tramp' along the Queen Charlotte Track. We booked the ferry and accommodation and various backpackers along the way before heading to bed. Next morning we got on the ferry where the skipper took great enjoyment of showing us all the hills that we would be climbing over the next few days! We were dropped of at Ships Cove which is where Captain James Cook berthed five times. And off we went 71km ahead of us! The track was very hilly in parts and very long but often changed. There were loads of different parts some looked Mediterranean, pine forests, dusty, meadows, rock faces and even one part that I swear we were transported to Autumn with leaves all over the ground! Each night we stopped at a lodge,hotel or resort. Our first night stay was at an interesting 50's butlins style place. It made us giggle. Next night was a little bit more upmarket, we had fantastic bay views and there was a cafe and bar. The final night was my favourite place. Again we had good views but there was a really good cafe and shop to stock up on gingernuts that by this point Rach and I were addicted to a energy food! The final day was most defiantly the hardest, it started with an hours steady climb but once at the top the views were most defiantly worth it! We finished earlier than we thought and enjoyed a final track cup of tea (minus a gingernut as we had eaten them all!) I am so chuffed with myself for completing the track (because of all the bays and water taxis you can bail at any point). I don't think that I would have done it without Rach! We had a great time, well done us! We are now in Kaikoura and are off to swim with Dolphins tomorrow morning! Neither of us can wait! We are looking at moving on to Christchurch tomorrow afternoon (Kaikoura is tiny) which will mean that I'm ahead of my planned schedule so I might head up to the North early and do some bits that I missed. We'll see! I forgot to say on my last blog that I'm now off my Oz mobile and on a NZ one till I return, number is 0064210680405. Lots of love Nicole xxx P.s 18sleeps till I'm home!