EC-Rider Travels

Today we bid farewell to the North Island and beautiful Wellington. Once again, I am sad to leave this city and wished we had a couple more days to explore. I got up early and went for a walk, the other way and saw the other end of the working day. People swimming in the sea, jogging, rowing, in the gym and exercising their dog (often on bikes or skateboards!). It was a cloudy morning but still lovely to see.

After breakfast we took up Chris Parkin’s offer to visit the top floor where there is a long passage leading to his apartment filled with incredible pieces of art. Admittedly, only one or two which would have felt happy in Smith Terrace but I could more than understand why he had bought them. I would have so loved him to have shown them to us and heard about the story behind each. We then went up to the Hippopotamus Bar where they were serving breakfast. Again completely bonkers but amazing with Designers Guid fabrics and more wacky art. I really would recommend this hotel to anyone coming to Wellington. It is really fun and rather what I thought we were staying in, in Auckland’s ‘Great Ponsonby Art Hotel’ – but that was a different sort of art!

We caught the 1pm ferry and sailed across the Cook Strait to the South Island. It is part of the wind belt known as the Roaring Forties and it certainly lived up to its name. As the only gap between the two islands, it acts as a huge wind tunnel. Goodness it was cold, but if you could brave it, the latter part of the journey was beautiful as we came through the Marlborough Sounds.

We arrived in Picton and drove literally a couple of minutes to ‘The Gables’ which was a close relation to the Great Ponsonby Art Hotel and we tried not to get the giggles. We were met by sweet Austrian, Elizabeth who was doubling up that night as the chef in the nearby restaurant, so we booked that for dinner. We then met the owner Jullieana who also owns said restaurant and many other successful businesses which she quickly told us about and also about her daughter who was in UK’s The Voice and is now famous!

Mum and I went for an amazing drive winding up Mt Kahikitea just beyond Picton. Much of the road had suffered sever damage in the rains and there had been some alarming subsidence. Luckily we only met two other cars during the forty minute drive! It was a stunning view from the top.

Elizabeth cooked us a delicious dinner and we had a hysterical time tuning in to an awful middle aged Brit boring a poor unfortunate American girl, who was to spend time with him on a boat (though not as big as his in the UK!) and was definitely much regretting it. I was desperate to kidnap her and release her from her fate, but the peanut and chocolate fondant got in the way!