We woke to another glorious day with sunshine and clear blue skies. We packed up and went for a walk round Havelock, ie up and down the main street. It is a delightful place, especially when the sun is shining, with several interesting restaurants and a small museum in addition to the beautiful marina which stretches out below.

We drove away sadly, already planning another visit next time we are back this way. Instead of taking State Highway 6 directly to Blenheim we decided to go first to Picton following the scenic route along the edge of Queen Charlotte Sound. It was a good decision as it is a beautiful journey along a narrow winding road high up above the sparkling blue water below, sometimes close by and sometimes glimpsed through the trees. We stopped at several view points along the way to admire the peaceful beauty of our surroundings and once, near Picton, to view a not so peaceful but nonetheless very interesting timber mill.

We descended into Picton just as the Inter Island ferry from Wellington was disembarking. Picton is a thriving little community and even boasts a Subway and MacDonald's to cater to fast food tastes. There are lots of other little restaurants as well and we had seafood chowder and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in a lovely little place overlooking the small beach and the harbour.

On our way again we left the pretty routes and joined SH 1 which took us the direct but less interesting way to Blenheim which is the main wine producing area. With memories of our last visit here we were tempted to stop for a tasting but in the end we decided to keep going. We saw many vineyards by the side of the road as we passed through and the hillsides seemed very dry compared with the west of the island.

As we left Blenheim behind the road hugged the coastline stretching for miles ahead and a single track railway line was by our side for most of the way. We stopped for a cold drink at The Store in Kekerengu before continuing along down the coast towards Kaikoura. The scenery along this stretch of the coast is spectacular with lovely little coves and rocky inlets around each headland. As we travelled along we must have seen literally hundreds of fur seals basking on rocks or swimming in the sea. We saw more fur seals than people, that's for sure!

JUst before Kaikoura we reached our home for the next couple of nights which was to be a wonderful tree house at Hapuku Lodge. Perched high up in the branches this tree house is nothing like those rough and ready tree houses of childhood days. It is luxurious and comfortable and looks out one way to the Southern Alps and the other way onto a peaceful olive grove.

In the lodge before dinner we meet our fellow guests, a lively couple from Dallas who regaled us with stories about their 22 grandchildren back in the States. It was a warm evening so we ate outside before returning to our tree house for the night. As it is far away from Nelson or Christchurch there is very little light pollution here so, as it was a very clear night, we decided later on to go out and look at the stars. It was a breathtaking sight to see so many billions of lights shining above and we so small here down below.