Canadian in KL: NZ Day 13, To the South Island!

An early start at the campsite in Lower Hutt saw us on the road by 6.30am and at the ferry check in by 7am for our 8.30am ferry from Wellington to Picton. We had dropped by the terminal the previous day to book. You can book online but it was nearby and a chance to check out the location. $250, so not cheap!
Made a cup of tea while waiting to load and chatted with the camper behind, a British retired GP and her husband, a retired RN submariner. No issues loading and we relaxed during the crossing. views were not stellar due to the low cloud. Note that Interislander does NOT offer free wifi. It offers a pay service of $4 for 40 MB which is usurious as its much more than the prepay 3G on the local SIM card.

Ferry sistership passing in the islands of the S. Island

Views on the ferry as it winds through the islands were nice, somewhat reminiscent of the ferry from Tsawassen to Victoria in Canada. Unloading we drove from Picton to Nelson all on Hwy 6 which has a maximum length restriction due to windiness, but its much shorter than the alternatives and rather scenic as it winds along the coast. In Nelson we stopped at the i-site who pointed us towards our first Freedom campsite experience (ie free, no pay!) on the shoreline at Motueka. The campsite was right over a berm from the sea. Not much of a beach, but nice views where not obstructed by clouds!