Motueka, New ZealandThe first ferry from the North Island to the South Island left at 8:00 AM. We opted to take the earliest one possible to allow enough time to make it from Picton to Motueka, the gateway to Abel Tasman National Park. The hike through the park will be the last big event with Shelby and Dustin before we part ways; allowing them to explore the South before flying home next Saturday.
The Bluebridge ferry ride from the North Island to the South Island took us along the Cook Straight before weaving in between several of the smaller islands en route to Picton. The water was calm, almost soothing and the aquamarine blue was glorious against the green mini islands that we continued to see along the way. At one point a school of dolphins played in the wake of the ferry, too far in the distance for us to see them clearly.
We got off of the ferry a little before Noon. We quickly grabbed our packs and headed to the rental car agency—Road Trip Part 2! However, we downgraded the car from the Territory to a Corolla since the four of us will only be together for a few more days. This made for a very tight fit with our packs and four of us in the Corolla. We figured we could gut it out since the car will be sitting while we hike.
During the trip from Picton to Motueka, we made a stop in Nelson to take care of a few logistics for the trek, and to let Shelby and Dustin stretch their legs—they were real troopers during the two hour trip; crammed and all.
We are taking Shelby and Dustin on their first real trek on Saturday. We will be out of pocket for a few days, but check back soon to see how it went on the trail.
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