It was only another short drive to our next destination, Paraparumu, from where we would visit Kapiti Island one of NZ's most important wild life sanctuaries.This being a public holiday weekend for the Queen's birthday - which the Kiwis are very happy to celebrate as they get a day off! - we'd booked into a youth hostel (Barnacles Seaside Inn).We'd also made sure to book our trip over to the island for which we were required to purchase a permit from the Departme...

Up early the next morning and with the morning being bright and sunny we took the coastal drive round Oriental Bay to Lyall Bay and Island Bay.What a revelation and what a wonderful setting Wellington is in!So we're glad to have opportunity to come back. Porirua is only about 20 km north of Wellington but on the Tasman Sea.It was slightly disappointing on first impression being a sprawling commuter town for the capital.Our motel however, was in a nice setting a...

Now heading away from Wellington - but we'll be back next weekend for the rugby. More later. E & M xx

The three hour ferry journey across the Cook Strait takes about an hour to negotiate through the Marlborough Sounds before getting into to choppier waters of the Strait. With the weather being as it was we did have spell where water broke over the bows and soaked the upper deck widows. The sick bags were coming up but it didn't last long and E&M tucked into their food as normal. As North Island and Wellington loomed it was clear (certainly wasn't!) that Nor...

As we’ve said about many places before, it was sad to be leaving – this time, Golden Bay - and as we headed over the summit of Takaka Hill for the last time we had a fond look backwards over the Bay and up to Farewell Spit – it was certainly a final farewell this time. Our journey to Picton took us back through Nelson where we encountered real warm sunshine when we stopped for a coffee and, seeing everyone walking about in their shorts and jandals we hop...