Christchurch Sunday 16 December 2012

The EJ's Voyage
Mike Everton-Jones
Tue 18 Dec 2012 23:24
On our road trip in the South Island!
We left Whangarei last Wednesday (today being Sunday). The boat is still on the hard at Norsand Boatyard. We packed the car with some camping gear (forgot the essentials of course, like sleeping bags...) and clothes and off we went on our little holiday. We didn't get very far... the car broke down just before Auckland! Blocked radiator. Luckily we found a garage with a nice mechanic who ordered a new radiator immediately. So we left him our car and hired another one to go to Auckland to deliver our liferaft to be serviced, meet our Auckland based friend Wendy for dinner and stay the night at her house and the next morning find the company that will make a new boat generator water separator in plastic as ours is in stainless and after 12 years is leaking. Luckily the very helpful man who hired us the car also gave us a GPS. Otherwise it would have been very difficult to find our way round Auckland. So much so that we decided to purchase one the next day. It has already been an invaluable help!
Late morning the next day we went back to Warworth to pick up the car and were back on the road just after noon.
We drove all the way down to Wanganui where we stayed the night in the Grand Hotel (not a lot "Grand" about it but was comfortable enough). The was an Irish bar in the hotel where we ate our dinner. The drive was very scenic and varied: mountains, flats, quite green, loads of cattle farming. Some of the villages we went through were amazingly set back in time and in some occasions even a little spooky.
We finally arrived in Wellington on Friday lunch time. We met with John and Wendy and they showed us around town. It was a very windy day but we both enjoyed the town a lot. Houses set in the hills, pleasant town centre with its attractive Cuba street, lots a coffee shops and bars. It is a student town so it is quite vibrant. Some photos attached.
We caught the 8am ferry to Picton on Saturday. The wind had died and the sun was out. It was a gorgeous crossing. Entering Picton in the Marlborough Sounds of the South Island was a magical moment. narrow entrance, loads of rocks, steep hills. A bit like fjords. Very beautiful. Photos attached.
We arrived in Picton at 11:30 and started our 4 hours down to Christchurch. Interesting drive going through the wineries and bare looking hills. Then the road goes alongside the sea with turquoise colour water. We stopped half way in Kaikoura at a little caravan along the road for lunch. Crayfish, mussels, prawns and scallops. Delicious. Photo attached.
We arrived at our friends Peter and Robyn in Christchurch just after 5pm. We met all their family around a bbq dinner. We had a lovely time.
Now we are getting ready to go to their wedding. They are getting married in their garden at 4:30pm today and the reception is in a marquee just down the road. It is a beautiful hot day here. Went for a run this morning in the huge and very beautiful park in the centre of Christchurch.
So we are both well and will keep you updated with our news!

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