The Picton Loo

An unusual “highlight” in Picton is the high-tech talking public toilet. I heard that in some survey (of course there’s always a survey) the Picton loo was the favorite. After closing the door, you are told to press the button to lock the door and that your maximum use time is ten minutes. You press the button for toilet paper and there is automatic soap, water, and dryers for your hands. The toilet flushes automatically but not until you have washed your hands! And during the whole time, music is playing-What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love! More buttons to push, and then you can finally leave. It is not a quick experience, but a unique one!

 

Picton and Marlborough

We tearfully said goodbye to Rachel, Carolyn, and Jeff, took a breather to do the laundry and some grocery shopping, and were ready to start out again.

Jim had to return to work :-( so Elizabeth and I drove to Wellington and took the ferry across Cook Strait to Picton on the South Island. We had only a few minutes of motion discomfort on the ferry, so we were able to enjoy the relaxing and scenic three hour cruise. Picton is a picturesque small seaport and tourist town on Queen Charlotte Sound. One can take the ferry here and then go to Abel Tasman Park, Marlborough, take the train to Christchurch or enjoy water activities and tramping in the area. It was a 10 for both of us!  

 We didn’t have a specific plan when we arrived, but we were open and as luck would have it, the perfect plan fell into our lap. Elizabeth had hoped to see some wineries, and our bed and breakfast host took us on a personalized tour of Marlborough, famous for their Savignon Blanc. Savignon Blanc is Elizabeth’s favorite, and I am coming to like it also. It's very refreshing during this summer that I am pretending is hot. There will be plenty of dark and cold winter days to come in June, July, and August when I will be happy to sip New Zealand pinot noir. 

The only down side to our excursion was the non-functioning air-con in our host's car, which is why I am guessing we were drooping after a few hours. It couldn’t have been the eight wineries we visited… I didn’t even get excited for the chocolate factory.

Waiting to board the ferry

Looking back at Wellington Harbor

Coming into Queen Charlotte Sound

We had a nice view of the sound while walking into town from our Bed and Breakfast

Seresin Wine

Testing Rachel wine-delicious but too expensive

 

One of our favorite wineries

Had a great lunch at Wairau winery

It's good to support New Zealand wineries

More Christmas Travel

Fortunately there weren’t many spots to pull off the road along Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown to Te Anau or we might still be there enjoying the sun, warmth and beautiful views. Although scenic views are plentiful here, sun and warmth are not, particularly in this New Zealand summer that isn’t happening.

Te Anau is a small, scenic tourist town along the beautiful Lake Te Anau.

We took a short hike across an easy swing bridge and walked along the Kepler Track. The tracks that we have walked in the North Island are wonderful, but there is a reason people come to the South Island. Kepler Track is refreshing, airy, but secluded, and is just nicer than the “bushy", jungle feel of the North Island, at least around Palmy. 

Like so many towns, Queenstown is a lovely and scenic place (aren’t they all?) on Lake Wakatipu. It is a ski and adventure town, with many shops and restaurants-a fun place to spend some time and money and where one could find just about any extreme adventure.

Our extreme adventure was an hour hike up to the top where we could ride the gondola, the luge, the zip line, take a bungee jump, and enjoy the view. Carolyn and Jeff took the six part, three hour zip line to the bottom, while Rachel, Elizabeth, Jim and I enjoyed the view, the gondola ride down, some shopping, and dinner. 

Some people took the easy way-not us!

This would be an extreme bungee experience-also not us.