7 Jan Thursday

Day 1 - Wellington - Kaikoura (L/D) White Morph

• Ferry crossing, through the Queen Charlotte Sounds to Picton
• Wineyard tour, includes Cloudy Bay, Herzogs
• Visit local attractions, Makana Confectionary, sample tasty designer chocolates
• Explore coastal beach fronts and seal colony

Queen Charlotte Sounds

48.28 km long (30 miles) long. Named by Captain Cook in 1770, after the wife of King George 111. Between 1770 and 1776, Cook visited here five times, and spent a total of fifteen weeks, using Ship Cove as his base.

On January 31^st, 1770, on Motuara Island off Ship Cove, Cook made a ceremonial proclamation of British Sovereignty over New Zealand. A Russian expedition commanded by Ballinghausen spent a week in Ship Cover in 1820. The ‘Tory” anchored here in August 1839. In 1832, William Steine, in the vessel “William IV”, sailed up Queen Charlotte Sound to the end, and gave the name “ Horne’s Bay” to the site of Picton.

We left Wellington today in high winds, they don't call it "Windy Wellington" for nothing. The sailing was reasonably smooth, only through the strait was it a little choppy. On arriving in Picton the skies opened up and let the sun stream down upon us.

Herzog's winery - David would buy the Pinot Noir and wants to try an get it exported

Kaikoura

Pop: 2,178

'Kaikoura' translates to 'meal of crayfish' ('kai'- food/meal, 'koura' - crayfish)

The name is taken from the original settlement of Tama (Tama-ki-te-rangi) on the southern side of the Peninsula called Te Ahi Kaikoura-aTama (The crayfish cooking pot of Tama).

The Kaikoura Peninsula extends into the sea south of the town, and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life from the depths of the nearby Hikurani Trench. The town owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre for the whaling industry.

The White Morph accommodation is superb, with a view of the sea from balcony.

Crayfish was a must for dinner and the platter for two was not quiet polished off. The cream brulee was followed by a walk to work off the calories.