By the off chance I woke up at 6am this morning, and after checking my phone to see I had a signal at last I bounced straight out of bed. Heading down to the supermarket I hoped to finally get an internet connection to let everyone know I was ok although it was just my luck it didn't work. Apparently they only have the WiFi active during the stores opening hours. Despite the disappointment the fact I was on the east coast and on the beach worked my in my favour as I witnessed the most amazing sunrise.
After spending a fair while down the beach I headed back to the hostel, finally being able to see the Kaikoura ranges which I am sure have gained a heck of a lot of snow since I last saw them! With an 8am departure this morning I was ready bright and early in what I thought was a strict departure time. After waiting a while after this time we soon found out that whilst getting the bus out one of the drivers had got their bus stuck in the mud. I say drivers because there was now effectively two buses heading north as we didn't leave yesterday. Luckily it wasn't my bus that got stuck and by half 8 we were finally on the road out of Kaikoura after 4 unexpected nights here.
Driving along the dramatic Kaikoura coastline through manmade tunnels and at times just metres from the sea and imposing cliffs next to us, we made swift progress. The sea was slightly rough however, although it was a viewpoint slightly after the rocky coastline where we made our first stop of the day at Ohau Point to see the seal colony which was teeming with seal pups. With the majority of these small seals squealing and playing in the rock pools below, we were lucky enough to see some up close which had climbed up the bank beside the road.
Further along the coastal road we began to see the aftermath of what all the fuss was about yesterday. The area where there was a landslip had been cleared luckily although the railway line which runs next to the road was still buried. There were these 4wd vehicles on the train track clearing the area though. There were some parts of the road still flooded however which slowed down the traffic although our bus had no problems getting through.
It wasn't until our next stop at the Flaxbourne services until the road finally got properly cleared. It was here we had our breakfast stop, although as usual I had breakfast prior. It was fascinating reading the front page of the paper though which said the west coast came worse off than me with building damage and loss of power all together! We had a fair stop here in the end and it wasn't long before we reached the town of Blenheim where we dropped off the people just doing the south island. The fact these people got stranded in Kaikoura means they couldn't do Kaiteriteri.
By now the bus was practically empty and it was simply one last push to Picton for the ferry from here. We arrived by around 12 in the end and here I finally got some WiFi access to check out what I missed. To be honest there wasn't really much to catch up on! After checking my bag in it was just a waiting game for boarding on the ferry to begin, which took a while, not boarding until half 1. With a 2pm departure it was nice to get a look at the south island for the final time as we slowly sailed through all the islands making up the Marlborough Sound at the northernmost tip of the island.
Taking a seat by the window, I got fish and chips for lunch although you could tell they had just got stuff out a frozen packet. Being productive during the three hour journey I spent the first part writing postcards and sorting out my folder which took me up to the Cook Strait where the sailing got a little rockier. As it felt a little funny by this point I just went out on deck to see the south island fade away and north island emerge. It was frustrating however as the ferry crew did a fire drill and they kept encouraging passengers to play an active role in the drill when all I wanted to do was relax.
The rest of the ferry journey went pretty quickly, sitting inside before going out on deck to take in the surroundings as we entered Wellington harbour. In the end we arrived into Wellington just after 5 and after collecting my luggage from the conveyer belt I left the terminal and walked into the city instead of taking the kiwi bus. This was because the kiwi bus would have taken me to the hostel near Courtenay Place when I wanted the railway station the other end close to the ferry terminal. It was only a ten minute walk or so and it was nice to see things like the harbour views and stadium whilst walking in.
The plan for the evening was to go to Paraparaumu along the Kapiti Coast to visit some family friends I haven't seen I was five years old! Due to railway improvements I had to take a bus here instead of the train, and after a trip to the new world I boarded the bus although there was all sorts of confusion as they had express buses and stopping buses. It didn't really make much difference to be honest, driving through the darkness. It was pretty difficult however knowing where I was however as the driver didn't shout out stops, although luckily I got off at the right stop!
A short while after arriving into the principal town of the Kapiti Coast, I arrived to be greeted at the front door by Melva who I am staying with having not seen since a very small child. It was nice to have a good chat as this was one of the things I have been looking forward too, and a short while after arriving I got an unexpected roast dinner, followed by the most amazing pavlova. Many people know I like my desserts! From here it was all a pretty relaxing evening, meeting Tom who once again I haven't seen since being a young child. It was also nice to have a Skype session amongst things this evening, before eventually settling down in a double bed. I was well and truly at home by this point in what felt like pure luxury!
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