We were up early to catch the 8AM Inter-Island Ferry. It's a beautiful three hour ride. The first part offers a spectacular view of Wellington and its harbor. The city, New Zealand's capitol, is built on hills, much like San Francisco. The ride then wends its way through the Queen Charlotte strait and into the harbor at Picton. We had a quick lunch, a pint of ale and off to Nelson and Rosie Potter, a good friend from our days at Guelph. Nelson is the smallest of the cities we have visited. It's a craft and cultural center loaded with small shops with beautiful ceramic and visual art. We spent our first afternoon hiking through a bird and wildlife sanctuary where Rosie volunteers, then found a small pub with cask conditioned IPA which was outstanding. ad dinner at home and spent the evening catching up with Rosie who we hadn't seen in twenty years.
