The low cloud lifted in the morning and driving into Havelock we had a look round the harbour to see if anyone was running boat tours of the sound and saw that the mail boat was due to leave shortly.  It is an official mail boat servicing the farms and houses around Pelorus Sound but is funded by selling tickets to tourists. The day trip either includes a farm visit or lunch and as we had made sandwiches before leaving the bnb we opted for the farm visit and grabbed our stuff from the car and boarded just as the ramp was raised.

Early morning view of the sound.


The mail boat had been replaced with a fast catermeran quite recently (built in Picton) and was able to drop mail and passengers even if there wasn't a pontoon.

Conditions were ideal, the views spectacular and the captain and his glamorous mate both very infomative. It transpired that the mate was from Lowestoft and knew the Bell at St Olaves very well.

This is the view from the farm stop- Wilson Bay Farm. We given a tour of the wonderful wooden shearing shed, met some sheep and were able to quiz the owners who are the 5th generation of the family to run the farm.  They were doubtful that a 6th generation would continue the farm - they would have to diverify into more tourism to survive as the value of fleeces and meat dropped and while they had had offers to do that they felt that the remote beauty of the land and the rugged lifestyle wouldn't survive if they had to share it with hoards of tourists. They already let out a couple of cottages and host the mailboat but I assume the survival plans would take that to a whole other level.


Cherry leaf loving lamb.
They have a son who boards at school in Nelson and the daughter is still home schooled.

 We had a couple of dolphin sitings in the afternoon along with gannets diving and mussel farms galor.
 The green lipped mussels are grown in great quantities.
I realised on the way back that the next bnb was booked not for that night but the next so knowing the our previous bnb was not booked I rang the host and was able to book in for a 2nd night. Luckily she hadn't yet stripped the bed.