Delay after delay

 February 25th...sailing day!

It rained most of the night, shame as this was the very last night of our stay on the South Island. The wind also picked up and at at 3 am Ian was wrestling with the pop top to get it down. A fine mist of mizzle was falling when we re-awoke, (is there such a word?)and found we had again stupidly left the mat outside which was now one big wet puddle!! 

The day lay long in front of us. The ferry was booked for 6.30 pm, we had to be waiting in line by 5 pm. So what to do. A lovely drive along the coast leading from Picton to Robin Hood Bay was just the ticket. This was another road we had never done and it appealed to us both.

Wow, what a road! It had more bends and hairpins than any road we have travelled so far. These photos from the satnav show the route.

Ian loved it, I was apprehensive especially when the slips appeared and persuaded him to stay well away from the edge. 

The views were wonderful though. This was Oyster Bay

 

We came to Ocean Bay and then Robin Hood Bay.

Ocean Bay

 

Robin Hood Bay

Lunch was had before containing toward Blenheim. The tarmac road changed to dirt and got extremely narrow! It had to happen, a car was met at the most awkward part. How we passed each other and no contact was made was more by luck than judgement. It was through the ferns we had to go and hoped for no sudden hidden dip. 

 A sign for Whites Bay came up, we turned off the track to go and see.

Amazing what one finds when out and about. This place was not only a fabulous DOC site with more clean flushable toilets than campers, but it was also the very first undersea cabled Telegraph station to the North Island. To read about it click HERE

The return to Blenheim and then to Picton was on more of the New Zealand wonderfully empty roads. As mentioned the sailing time on the Kaiarahi was at 6.30pm. It was still early afternoon, we thought we may as well try to get in the line now. Up to the Interislander kiosk where this young lady apologised about the further delay. What??? Nothing had come through by email so what was the delay? Another check on the engines which delayed the sailing from Wellington to Picton by another 4 hours. New sailing time, 9.30 pm. 

Not too many other vehicles waiting, we were told to go in row 4 with the big boys. A little van dwarfed by huge motorhomes. And so we waited. More and more campers and cars turned up, soon all the lanes were filled.

5.50 pm another email pinged on Ian's phone. More apologies from the Interislander booking office but the Kaiarahi hadn't even left Wellington and was now expected to dock at Picton by 10 pm. Sailing would be at 11.30.pm. So there you have it! We are waiting patiently and have done since 2 .30 pm. I suppose we are the lucky ones that can make coffee, prepare sandwiches and pass the hours playing Quiddler. For those in cars the wait must be endless.

Next posting should (hopefully) be from the North Island.