After successfully dumping the campervan’s waste water and filling up with fresh water (first time!), I headed north out of Kaikoura towards my next stop, Picton, in the Marlborough region on the northeast coast of the South Island.  The drive is a bit over two hours but I was in no hurry- there were a lot of interesting places to stop on my way up the coast.  Highway 1, heading north out of Kaikoura, hugs the coast which made it easy for me to find the first stop of interest, Ohau point, only about 30 minutes into my journey.  The coast is very rugged with brilliant blue water and rocky outcroppings, and Ohau point not only provides a scenic stop to snatch some great pictures, but also hosts a large colony of sea lions.  There were more pups, of all sizes, at this location than the two sea lion colonies combined that I had passed on the previous day’s walk!  The pups were playing together, swimming in small pools, wandering all over the rocks, and of course, sleepily sunning themselves-there was a lot going on.

Sea Lion pups hanging out in the sun enjoying life.

As I was checking out all of the activity my attention was drawn to a particular drama unfolding between a large sea lion (Mom?) and a smaller one (teenager?).  The larger animal was actively trying to block the smaller one from getting into the ocean.  When the smaller sea lion would dart over to the left, scrambling quickly over rocks to approach the water, the larger one paralleled the motion, keeping its body between the smaller one and the ocean.  Occasionally the smaller one would bite at the larger one, then retreat and try to dart in a different direction.  Then they would pause, staring at each other for a bit, before the small one was off again.  It was rather hilarious to see the large one quickly adapting, scrambling furiously over the rocks,  and changing direction to effectively block the smaller one.  I watched this interplay for about 15 minutes, until, finally the smaller one was successful (darting under several rocks that the larger one could not get in front of).  With the departure of the smaller one, the large sea lion, simply flopped onto a rock and took a nap.  I wish I could have known what was really going on– but it was hilarious to watch regardless.

An example of the rugged coastline on the southeast part of the South Island.

Entertainment over, I hopped back in the campervan and continued my journey north. After about an hour I stopped at a roadside cafe and got a scone, walking down to the black sand beach to enjoy my mid-morning snack.  As I headed further north the highway turned inland and I said good-bye (for now) to the coast and the brilliant blue water.  I was now heading into  foothills and through farmland and eventually, vineyards, as I entered the Marlborough region. There was a lot of roadwork going on, so the traffic was stop and go at times, but since I was not in a hurry, all was Ok.  The highway ran through Blenheim, population 30,000, before turning north to Picton, population 4500, where I had booked a campground for three nights.I selected Picton as one of my stops because of the famous wine growing region in Marlborough and also because of the beauty of the Marlborough Sounds and my three night stay was designed to allow me to sample both.

I easily found the campground, situated about 1.5 miles east of the town center, and got settled.  Even after the  3-ish hours drive, it was still rather early after I got set up so I decided to stretch my legs and walk into town.  A plethora of hiking paths trace their way through the hills behind the camp and I easily found the trail that led into the town center.  Forty five minutes later I was in the town center, but unfortunately, the nice sunny day had turned incredibly windy (and cold); the sun had disappeared behind some ominous clouds.  Not in a hurry to face the wind for the walk back, I ducked into an Irish pub and had an excellent meal of New Zealand mussels washed down with a tasty porter.  After the meal, fortified somewhat for the chilly walk back to my cozy campervan, I forced myself back on the street, but choose to return along the road instead of the trail as it was a bit shorter.  Luckily the sun had reappeared from behind the clouds while I was eating, but the wind was still incredibly gusty (it was shaking my campervan during the evening for a while!).

The next morning (after a 5am teleconference!) I headed out to hike to the Queen Charlotte Sound look out, wanting to experience the beautiful birds-eye views of the sound.  The trail to the look out was accessible from the campground, about a 45 minute hike that went up and up and up.  As I was climbing, I could not help but remember (fondly) the hiking I had done in Nepal a mere 7 years ago–and wishing I was still in that kind of shape (sigh).  The climb was worth it, however, as the view from the top was spectacular (see featured image).  There was a small group of Czech hikers already there when I got there, but other than them, I did not see anyone on the trail.  I am sure during high season, which starts after Christmas, it will be much more crowded.

Leaving the look out I hiked down via a different trail, heading once more to the city center to check in for my afternoon boat cruise; having seen the birds-eye view it was time to see the sound from a boat.  My research into boat tours had revealed that it was possible to accompany the Picton mail delivery and spend four hours roaming around the bays of Queen Charlotte sound.  The reviews were highly complimentary, so I booked it. My afternoon was spent on the boat and I recommend this tour if you are ever in Picton!

Out on the boat in the sound. It was super windy but I stayed on the top deck for most of the tour– best views available up there!

The first half of the tour was mail delivery and the route changes based on the day.  Our route took us up the Tory channel which is the southern entrance to the sound and the one used by the ferries that run across the Cook Strait between the north and south islands.  Dotted around the sound are numerous homes that are only reachable by boat.  While most are vacation homes and only occupied in the summer, about 180 residents live there year-round.  The mail delivery (which also includes just about anything you might want to have delivered) has been running for over 150 years, and in the last few decades has added paying passengers to help defray the expenses.  The ship captain provided us with a running commentary during the whole trip and was a fountain of information about the history, life and activities of the area.

An example of the remote houses dotted around the sound. The dead trees in the background are pines. They are being targeted for extinction since they are not a native species and are threatening the native flora.

The original inhabitants of the sound were farmers but that lifestyle slowly died out as it became more difficult financially.  We stopped by one of the few remaining farms (sheep) on our last mail delivery but unfortunately after five generations of farming, the property was for sale.  We also passed by mussel, oyster and king salmon farms, strategically located in some of the channels and again, our captain provided lots of insight into the marine economy.  Apparently NZ king salmon is one of the top exports of the country (along with mussels and wine).  After the mail run was complete we headed over, across the sound, into the north channel and to Endeavor Bay, to pick up some hikers for return to Picton.  The four hour tour was a comprehensive journey through Queen Charlotte sound. The views were amazing, the water brilliant blue and the sun was out–it was an excellent day to be on the water.

We went all the way up the Tory channel to the Cook Strait and you can see the North Island in the distance across the strait.

After a wonderful day on the water touring the sound, I turned my attention to exploring  the numerous wineries in the area. I ended up signing on to a wine tasting tour offered by Marlborough Wine Tours as it offered a full day, small vineyard itinerary.  More importantly, the tour picked me up and dropped me off at my campground so there was no driving requirement on my part.  Our tour guide, Gavin, was well-versed in the local wineries and our group of 1o (four US, six Australian) spent a lovely day touring through five different family owned wineries.  We all got along great and it was a day of laughter and getting to know each other as we meandered our way through a variety of white wines and the odd pinot noir.  Over 80% of the Marlborough region is planted in Sauvignon Blanc and it is rather well know for this varietal.  Our tour was booked to end at 3:45, but it was close to 5:30 when Gavin finally dropped me off at the end of a long, but fun day of learning about the wine industry in Marlborough. Tomorrow I head out of Picton with a long drive to the western coast of the South Island.

An old whaling station. Whaling was a huge industry, even as late as the 1970s. Now even commercial fishing has been banned in the area to allow the fish population to replenish.

A mussel farm tucked away in one of the bays on the sound. Mussel farming and king salmon farming is a big business. Oyster farming is being explored.