Ferry Interislander and New Zealand capital next

May 3
Picton harbor

My camp and night at Ngakuta Bay was truly awesome. Perfect weather, no mosquitoes and lovley bath. Started early in the morning , skipped breakfast but not my morfning coffee.

I arrive Picton few minutes after 10 am. First thing I did was to inform me about  the ferry schedule. The ferry terminal was almost empty, only my self an a copuple

The lady cashier at the desk informed me that the departure time was 2:15 p.m. and the trip cost 65 NZD or $42.

She also mentioned that the sea was expected to be calm. From her, I received a code granting access through the gate to the vehicle deck, allowing me to park the bike at the front of the bow.

Then I walked down and back to the Inislander ferry terminal. Before steering my bike onboard, I visited the terminal cafe. There wasn’t much available, just coffee and a bun. At 13:30, I passed through the gate and guided my fully loaded bike to the bow. Here was even a bike rack here and a rope to tie the bike down

The Interislander ferry has ten decks, two dining rooms for passengers, and extra facilities for professional drivers and those who paid for premium access. We depart at almost 2:15 sharp, and the first hour is at a slow speed through the amazing Queen Charlotte Sound archipelago.

Charlotte sound It was truly breathtaking.

I entered the dining room for fish and chips and a cold beer, and sat by the window to admire the magnificent view. One thing is certain: the captain must remain focused due to the numerous islands and peninsulas.

Twenty minutes later I roll my bike out into a dusk-lit Wellington.  The sun has just drop down behind Mount Victoria for to night. Into city center not more than 2 km cycling, trying to search for an beckpackers hostel.
A young women with an racer bicycle helped me to find Backpackers Global Trek, lies close to city center and a near beautiful chatolic cvhurch, St. Mary of the Angels.
The hostel seems popular but I’ve seen better standards than this. But the price was low so I checked in. Room on the second floor, room with four beds.

When I opened the door and stepped inside I could have sworn a minor earthquake had just happened. Everything was scattered across the floor, and nothing seemed to remember where it belonged.

My bed was the top bunk, neatly made and fresh. I unpacked my things and then went down to the kitchen to cook my late dinner.

The kitchen on my floor was in the same state as my room, maybe worse – total chaos. And it was almost completely occupied.

While I was eating I heard someone in the kitchen speaking in a cheerful tone…
– hello again

I looked up and saw a couple I had met in Franz Josef Glacier and along the way from Murchison…

– Aha, nice to see you again!

We had a nice chat about our routes and future planned routes ad some other things

Always nice to be remembered and to talk to like-minded nerds