May 10, 2008 - Picton to Wellington

May 10, 2008 – Picton to Wellington (Ferry)

 

Weather:  Mostly Fine for the crossing, seas a little rough.

 

Upon arriving at the ferry line up area around 9AM for the 10AM ferry the ticket taker at the gate advised us that the ship was going to be late by about 2 hours due to storms.  Hmm!  She said that we may want to go back to town for a while or go have coffee in their terminal using the free coffee coupons that she gave us.  We opted for the coffee so we left three of the Kea’s in the queue climbed in ours and drove back around and over to the café at the terminal. 

 

After getting our caffeine fix we headed back and got to the line up area again.  It was about 11AM and the ship had arrived.  We began getting little warning signs that all might not be well out in open water.  The illuminated weather sign was showing STORM in red.  OK, nothing to worry about because the ship got here OK and they’re going back to Wellington.  We waited patiently for the signal to drive on and we got our motorhomes all loaded without any problems plus cars, semis, etc.  We all headed up to the upper decks to find a place to sit and enjoy the trip.  Uh-Oh, another ominous sign.  There were sick sacks everywhere – on the tables, chairs, in the bathrooms, everywhere!  A subtle hint I guess that we might be expecting some rough water and that theydid not want their boat soiled.  Maybe I should put one in my back pocket just in case.  Naw! 

 

Joan and I were hungry and it was after noon now so we went directly to the café, got a nice toasted pinini and something to drink and went back to where the others were and had lunch.  By this time the boat had started moving out through the sound from Picton. 

 

The water was smooth going out the sound but as we got into open water it did start getting a little rougher with some whitecaps and rolling action but it’s a big boat and we didn’t suffer too much.  At one point though when they asked for the owner of the BMW with a certain license number to report we had visions of the car sliding around down in the hold banging into our KEA’s.  Might have just been a car alarm or something.  The rest of the trip I read my book and tried not to think of the movements of the boat.  Jay said later that he was starting to feel a little green and was glad when we docked.

 

Joan and I and Roy and Marjorie went directly to the campground while the others stopped in Wellington at the TePapa Museum, also known as the People’s Museum of New Zealand.

 

Well we all made the crossing OK and unscathed albeit a couple hours late.

 

Life is good!

 

Kiwi Word of the Day: Crook – Be Ill or Sick