today we catch the ferry to the South Island…..the day is looking sunnier and after breakfast we walk into Wellington and take the cable car to the top of the city…..the view is great and the hill offers many trails down which take you through botanical gardens of all kinds, particularly Kiwi plants, trees and flowers - including some extinct varieties…..the gardens are what you might expect - this is early summer so there is no lack of flowers blooming…..one of the trails takes you past the Henry Moore sculpture, Inner Solace…..we climb back up to the top of the hill and catch the cable car down to the city centre….time to head to the ferry and drop off the car……we have a lot of stuff to take across to Picton - chairs, mattresses, tents, etc. - but the girls get it checked in to baggage no charge…the ferry ride is great - coming into the Picton Harbour the views are unbelievable - Cook describes this area as the most beautiful in all of the South Pacific….still cloudy but not overcast……the rental car is waiting for us - a Subaru Forester RV……we have more room and the car is actually better on the windy roads, bigger, faster, etc.….after a brief stop for dinner and breakfast groceries we head for Momoranghi Bay…..the rain starts but as we reach the top of the hill out of Picton Harbour, we are greeted with the most brilliant rainbow that I have ever seen…..at the base of one end is the ferry leaving for Wellington….I can’t get the telephoto on fast enough but I manage to take some pictures…..a colourful greeting from the South Island….we wind our way to the campsite, set up and have a dinner……the sky is loaded with stars and even the milky way can be easily seen from here……we’re asleep about 30 minutes after our meal…..
first thing in the morning we decide to take a walk through downtown Wellington and ride the cable car up to the top of the city.....
this little bit of Kiwi architectural ingenuity will make a perfect place for me to tie my sneakers......now that's Canadian ingenuity....
3 little mer maids.....posing with the giant street clams on Langdon Quay.....
gimme 5 big tall metal lady!!.....
top of the city....time to leave the cable car ladies!!
top of the cable track....
Wellington's finest volunteers protecting the great port of Wellington from attack.....I just feel so safe knowing that they are out there!!
Cathy passes by the original observatory on the hill.....they put it up there to be as close to the stars as possible.....good plan!....
these cool little flowers are everywhere in NZ......
these not so much.......
the groundskeeper facilities...looks like they are growing something on the roof......
in case the old Rolex fails......this timepiece is quite accurate - almost to the millicloud.......
tropical touch - - trying to help some of you forget the ice storm.........
we donated our Christmas tree.......
did he say something to you, I'm pretty sure he said something??...I didn't even touch his frog...!!
at the bottom of the picture is a man who, along with an older woman, was facing the Chinese embassy and gesturing - I think they were protesting??
the ladies demonstrate "Inner Solace" in front of the Henry Moore sculpture of the same name.....
Wellington Harbour from the upper city......
Lambie realizes yet another dream - this time he wipes down a Wellington cable car - dreams coming true left and right!!
sculpture outside of the legislative buildings....for some reason I'm craving hot dogs??
leaving Wellington Harbour on the InterIsland Ferry headed for the South Island......
crazy Kiwi kite surfer in Oriental Bay.......
2 dreams come true in one day for Lambie - like a Disney movie!
last point markers before we sail out into Cook Strait
if you look really close, you'll see the ferry at the base of the rainbow where the pot of gold usually is.....
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