South Island

South Island

A view from the passenger terminal in Wellington of some tugs.

A ferry crossing the harbour.

A view of the passenger terminal from out ferry. We left Wellington for the nearly four journey to Picton across the Cook Straits and along the Queen Charlotte Channel to Picton on the South Island.

We stayed in a hostel overnight and then set off  mid morning from Picton towards Kaikaura on the eastern coast of the south island. We threaded our way through some hills and across several rivers, often running parallel to the railway from Nelson to Christchurch.

A view of the railway bridge from the road bridge.

Is is Marlborough country, one of New zeal ands largest wine growing area with more than 140 wineries producing more than 15 million bottles of wine a year.

The storage tanks of one winery taken from the road as we sped past.

There the trees and telegraph poles, there are some railway carriages and a few containers in the railway stock yard.

A few of the extensive vineyards.

Another railway bridge.

A view of some of the hills between the flat areas used for vineyards, and they are flat as the grapes are picked by machine which can't negotiate the steeper slopes. Instead the upper slopes are used for sheep.

New Zealand has seven sheep per human although this is down from a 30 to 1 ratio half a century ago. Despite this,  the country still dominates the international trade in sheep meat with a 50% share.

Another engineering marvel.

The estuary of one of the rivers but it is salt marsh and has not yet been reclaimed for farming.

Guess what? Another engineering marvel.

In 2016 there was a massive earthquake under the sea near Kaikaura which caused a lot of damage and cut off the town for the rest of the country. Railways had to be repaired and the opportunity was taken to straighten and improve some of the roads which is still on going today.

 Sea defences were built or improved.

The earthquake also uplift the shoreline and there is new land. Where we are walking was a wave cut platform that used to be exposed only at low tide. Now it is above the high tide mark and all the land to the left is new.

Sea defences were improved although this particular section is to protect the cliff base as it was considered too expensive to build elaborate protections to protect the railway.

Down on the new beach were dozens of New Zealand fur seals.

Another seal.

We passed several high peaks and the patches of snow on the top is visible even in summer.

There are plenty of activities to do, and one was a fishing trip which some of the group took to try to catch us our supper. They could keep all they caught or leave it for the crew to share.

We passed Fyffe House, Kaikaura's oldest surviving house and part of the original whaling station established here in 1842.

And a view of our liveried coach.