March 3, 2014. Kaikoura, New Zealand. The White Morph.

Today was calm but often the crossing is rough. The ferry ride itself is beautiful. For about one hour going from Wellington to Picton, you must cross open ocean and the wind blows hard, making the people riding the ferry get sick. Jurgen was on the ferry one time when 100% of the passengers got sick. But today all was calm and bright. The trip to the South Island takes three hours with the last hour passing steep hills through a narrow channel. It is a beautiful trip. It is always nice to live looking at the sea. Tonight we are staying at The White Morph, one of the string of Heritage Boutique Collection resorts we have enjoyed, thanks to our tour organizer, Aroha New Zealand Tours. The drive today along the shore was beautiful. The New Zealand fur seals were in abundance. Kaikoura sits right on the shore and is a center of hiking and biking and kayaking. It is a tourist town but is charming. Soon we will walk to town. We saw more vineyards today than we have ever seen in our lives. At one vineyard, we tasted the wine and ate their delicious lunch. The food in New Zealand is excellent. The Kiwi's seem to take great pride in cooking and we are the beneficiaries of their efforts. The people are hard working, energetic and friendly. It is a great country.