Day 20: Wellington - Nelson

An early rise and a 5km ride out to the ferry terminal to catch the Interislander to Picton, a 3 hour cruise. The ferry was full which shows that we're starting to get into tourist season now. Summer officially starts tomorrow!

Having a bike allowed me to be first off the ferry and therefore first to arrive at the car rentals desk about 200 metres away ;) Picked up the car and then drove it a further 200 metres to the car parking behind the Cougar Lines office. This was the taxi boat company who were then going to drop me and my bike out in the Marlborough Sounds.

So we left Picton at about 13:20 for the 90 minutes transfer.

Cougar have a wide portfolio of services - day cruises, MTB along the Queen Charlotte Track, trecking, transfers out to the many hotels in the sounds. They were very professional and helpful. I got dropped off at one of the coves in Endeavour Inlet, near where Captain Cook first set foot on the South Island.

From there I had a great but "undulating" 72 kms ride along the road that slices through the sounds, back to Picton.

A great ride, with the last 22 kms along the Queen Charlotte Drive, voted one of New Zealand's best driving stretches.

Once back at the car I then retraced those 22 kms then continued along the coast to Havelock, self proclaimed "Green lipped mussels capital of the world". So the choice of what to have for dinner was easy.

Then finally an unsuccessful "sunset chase" towards Nelson where again the backpackers seems very good and chilled out.

Didn't get the sunset, but I did remember the "panorama of the day".

Forecast is for hailstorms tomorrow. Today was perfect.