Our morning began bright and early today as our sailing to the South Island, which was known to the Maori people as Te Wai Pounamu (translating to The Greenstone Waters) had a check in time of 7:45 AM. The early start forced Stephanie to delay her morning coffee by several hours. She quickly remedied that situation with a Caramel Latte once we were aboard.

The Cook Strait, which separates the two main islands of New Zealand, is known as one of the roughest ferry crossings in the world. Earlier this week there were 10 foot seas! Thankfully we crossed through very calm conditions which made for an enjoyable voyage. After passing the Strait we entered the picturesque Marlborough Sound which terminates at the town of Picton. Upon entering the sound we made our way up to the observation deck to take in the views and snap a few pictures. The steep hills and numerous small boats made for a great viewing experience.

Our first stop after arriving on the South Island was a wine tasting in Rapaura. This region is home to some of the largest wineries in New Zealand. We stopped at Hunter’s Wines which is one of the older wineries and their long history includes helping put the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the map. Our server for this tasting was none other than the owner, Jane Hunter. Jane has been inducted into the Wine Hall of Fame here in New Zealand and she has crafted numerous wine which have been voted best in the world. Needless to say we were in good hands! She even helped convert Jay into a fan of white wines with their delicious Sauvignon Blanc.

Following the tasting we continued our trek to Nelson. Along the way we took in the sites at Havelock which is another town alongside the many inlet waterways found on this part of the island. The water color was striking on this beautiful sunny day in the South Pacific.

After dropping off our luggage and picking up our room keys we were craving dinner. New Zealand has a much more diverse food scene than we realized. Tonight we enjoyed Thai food! While there were some differences from our local Thai restaurants, the food was equally good.

We concluded our evening with a stop at the grocery store to stock up on snacks and lunch items for our long drive tomorrow. We will make our way to the glacier town of Franz Josef which is a seven and a half hour drive not including stops.