Yesterday evening as the sun got cooler, we went to Picton. It is the ferry port, ferries going to the North Island to Wellington.

It was nice window shopping when shops are closed. Lots of restaurants and pubs there.

So today it was 28*c already when we left the motel around 10am. We planned to go through Picton to the Queen Charlotte Sound. The inlets all around this land mass area north of Picton are filled with the sea. They appear to be like islands. there is a very windy road that goes along winding up and down the hillsides. We soon reached Picton and our first stop was at Waikawa Bay. It is a huge marina. We continued along the road to a viewing point. Karaka point. As always you have a 10 minute steep walk, this time down to the waters edge.

It is an historic Maori sight and not yet investigated fully. There are mounds and basins created for food storage. This point was a defensive site defending against other marauding tribes coming down the sound. Do you like the wooden Maori pou carving sculpture? I liked the view over the harbour towards Picton.

We went further but it got very steep and windy and we couldn’t see much but steep drops and forest. So we turned round and stopped at a small river campsite and sat in the sun. It was so windy there but a warm wind. I saw this pukeko.

In Picton a cruise ship was in and a craft market was there to attract their custom. The fair was an interesting assortment and you had to admire some initiatives by the locals to gain money from the visitors, i.e. the prices were very steep!

We sat outside a cafe,people watching in the sunshine and ate a lamb burger with jellied beetroot shredded carrot lettuce and mayonnaise and raw onion rings in a bap held together with a long cocktail stick. It was yummy but difficult to eat daintily!

Oh and we called in at the chocolate factory nearby to our hotel. We ate the free samples along with the coach party that had just arrived aren’t we cheeky! We decided not to buy the chocolate and left hee hee!

So hot so as yesterday we came back to the motel and I had a swim to cool down, grandad went for a nap! It was 36*c

We are off to Whites Bay in a minute.

This is especially for lily love from Grandma  xxx

Love to Anona and Lily, Louis and Alice, Otis and Xavi xxxx