The Marlborough Sounds and Bluebridge – Buy
The peace and tranquillity of the Marlborough Sounds. It’s home to over 200 species of fish and three different types of sea mammals. It has several predator free islands to protect endangered species like the kakapo, tuatara, and giant weta and since 1962 it has been the main route for inter-island ferries travelling between Picton and Wellington.
The Marlborough Sounds – Buy
A gentle, early morning boat ride through the Marlborough Sounds really is quite a delightful thing. Then, you hit the Cook Strait where it can get a little rough.
Cook Strait – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
On the ferry from Wellington to Picton they were showing the movie Frozen. I have some questions.
1. In the movie, is the way the snowflakes fall in the wind scientifically accurate?
2. What about hypothermia?
3. What about climate change?
4. Wouldn’t Elsa’s ice castle be amazingly boring?
5. Just how close can a snowman get to a fire without melting?
I wanted to address these questions with the other passengers. These were questions that needed answers and so I looked around to see who I could converse with. The dad’s were mostly asleep, the children were engrossed in the TV while the mum’s had that disturb me at your peril look. Deciding that I was the only one questioning what was being shown, I left these ponderings and I went for a walk outside before returning to my seat and settling back into my book until arriving in Picton.
Bluebridge Ferry – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I slept wonderfully. Apart from between 12:00am and 2:00am when three large gangs of middle aged women who had attended the World of WearableArt Show arrived back at the hotel. The first group treated the rest of the building to renditions of songs from Grease and Abba at obnoxiously high volumes. A second group got a trifle confused with what floor their room was on. This they solved by phoning a friend who was clearly deaf! While a third group in fits of giggling and laughter bounced their way off doors and walls down the corridor to the end of the hall. To show my appreciation, the next morning I replied in kind with several long blasts of my car horn as I departed for the Ferry at 6:00am! ‘I hope the show was terrible’ I muttered as I went in search of coffee!
That morning the Wellington waterfront and harbour was a true sight to behold. The day was breaking still and calm. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, nor a ripple on the water. It was so nice I didn’t even mind the ferry to Picton was 45 minutes late, this was Wellington on a good day.
Waikawa Bay– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I walked until I found a quiet, gentle spot called Waikawa Bay. Some 6 kilometres outside of Picton township. Boats floated and shifted with the tide while every now and then the odd person passed in a vehicle. It seemed rather idyllic.
Resting by the past of tomorrow
Waikawa Bay in Picton reminds me a lot of Halfmoon Bay in Stewart Island, only on a smaller scale. I think it’s the combination of the shape of the bay, the surrounding hills, the boats at anchor that drift with the tide but the similarities are far beyond physical. The casual, easy going nature of the people that past by and the relaxed feel of the small Picton Bay are hard not to enjoy. I spent a morning out in the water taking all kind of shots and watching the sun reflect in crazy ways between the boats.
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Print Price Guide 2021 – Download