I never did get a chance to either blog or post pictures between San Fran and Blenheim. Just a blurb I think. It is absolutely essential that I try to catch this stuff as I think about it, so anyone who may be reading, forgive the ramblings of an eccentric old woman. Oh wait, I'm not quite there yet. OK, a nutso middle-aged broad.
We finally did arrive in Auckland, and the airport at 9 a.m. is nothing amazing. The last time I was here I arrived at around sunrise, and remember sitting outside, basking in the warmth and sipping a flat white while waiting till it was time to get to the other terminal (domestic) for my next flight to Blenheim. This time, we had only a brief respite to haul butts over, no time for a flat white or indulging the warmth. Actually, this first day in Auckland was pretty darn warm and the trek (missed the terminal shuttle) was a bit overheating, albeit good movement after sitting on a plane for 12 hours.
Finally arrived in Wellington, noon-ish, and now, because we weren't staying for the night (we had done that in Frisco), we had no place to store our bags other than the ferry by checking them in. It was a bit of a taxi ride from the airport to the Interislander Ferry, although I'm sure the driver took the longest way possible, and we enjoyed the incredible scenery. Wellington is a beautiful city, especially midday, or really any time of day or night, and the ride was enjoyable and relaxing. Got to the ferry, and found that we were early enough to catch the earlier ferry. We could have done that, but I was pretty sure I wanted to catch the sunset from the boat, coming through the Marlborough Sounds. The sun was due to set around an hour before landing in Picton, and there were a few clouds, so with any luck, we would see some amazing views.
The day was fairly clear, and the sun was warm, and we needed to recharge our batteries. No, literally, our cell phones were almost dead. So we settled into the Interislander lounge, found some outlets, and proceeded to charge up. We had a few hours, but decided that a walk back into the downtown area for lunch (or another taxi ride) would be less enjoyable than relaxing by the harbour, breathing the fresh sea air, and basking in the warm sun. We would eat on the boat during the brief period that we were mostly surrounded by water. And so we sat and relaxed, enjoying the view of Wellington.
Then, suddenly it seemed, we were on our way. Once out on the open water, the wind was pretty strong - and cool - but the view was worth it. Staying on the second level down sheltered by the cabin helped a bit so that's where we stayed until we were out of sight of most land - or at least scenic views - like this one.
After grabbing a bite to eat at the small cafe on board, we ventured again outside to catch the sunset, as we were nearing the entrance to the Marlborough Sounds, a very scenic area with hills on both sides, and virtually uninhabited. Lush green awaited us, and the sun was getting quite low in the sky. Unfortunately, with no cloud, and not much colour, the long-anticipated sunset cruise was a bit of a wash, but still lovely.
By now, it was pretty cool on the deck, so we went inside for a glass of wine before docking. Our friend Gary had said that we would have a great view through the glassed in deck at the stern (back) of the boat, but all the glass was completely dirty, and you could barely see through it. Oh well, next time!
We finally did arrive in Auckland, and the airport at 9 a.m. is nothing amazing. The last time I was here I arrived at around sunrise, and remember sitting outside, basking in the warmth and sipping a flat white while waiting till it was time to get to the other terminal (domestic) for my next flight to Blenheim. This time, we had only a brief respite to haul butts over, no time for a flat white or indulging the warmth. Actually, this first day in Auckland was pretty darn warm and the trek (missed the terminal shuttle) was a bit overheating, albeit good movement after sitting on a plane for 12 hours.
Finally arrived in Wellington, noon-ish, and now, because we weren't staying for the night (we had done that in Frisco), we had no place to store our bags other than the ferry by checking them in. It was a bit of a taxi ride from the airport to the Interislander Ferry, although I'm sure the driver took the longest way possible, and we enjoyed the incredible scenery. Wellington is a beautiful city, especially midday, or really any time of day or night, and the ride was enjoyable and relaxing. Got to the ferry, and found that we were early enough to catch the earlier ferry. We could have done that, but I was pretty sure I wanted to catch the sunset from the boat, coming through the Marlborough Sounds. The sun was due to set around an hour before landing in Picton, and there were a few clouds, so with any luck, we would see some amazing views.
The day was fairly clear, and the sun was warm, and we needed to recharge our batteries. No, literally, our cell phones were almost dead. So we settled into the Interislander lounge, found some outlets, and proceeded to charge up. We had a few hours, but decided that a walk back into the downtown area for lunch (or another taxi ride) would be less enjoyable than relaxing by the harbour, breathing the fresh sea air, and basking in the warm sun. We would eat on the boat during the brief period that we were mostly surrounded by water. And so we sat and relaxed, enjoying the view of Wellington.
Then, suddenly it seemed, we were on our way. Once out on the open water, the wind was pretty strong - and cool - but the view was worth it. Staying on the second level down sheltered by the cabin helped a bit so that's where we stayed until we were out of sight of most land - or at least scenic views - like this one.
After grabbing a bite to eat at the small cafe on board, we ventured again outside to catch the sunset, as we were nearing the entrance to the Marlborough Sounds, a very scenic area with hills on both sides, and virtually uninhabited. Lush green awaited us, and the sun was getting quite low in the sky. Unfortunately, with no cloud, and not much colour, the long-anticipated sunset cruise was a bit of a wash, but still lovely.
By now, it was pretty cool on the deck, so we went inside for a glass of wine before docking. Our friend Gary had said that we would have a great view through the glassed in deck at the stern (back) of the boat, but all the glass was completely dirty, and you could barely see through it. Oh well, next time!
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