Over to the South Island

Linda waiting for her latte in the dining room at Ormlie Lodge

Rapier to Martinborough


It’s a heat wave... 36C when we arrived in Martinborough. Could have used the mesh jackets today. We should be appreciating the hot sunny weather because, if the forecast is correct, we can expect a high of 19C and rain by Saturday.

We are surrounded by vineyards here in Martinborough, a small town 1 hour north-east of Wellington. We sampled some chardonnay, along with a few appetizers, with our hosts before walking downtown for supper at the pub in the Martinborough Hotel. As we walked up to the pub we bumped into another couple we had met a few nights before at the Clover Downs Estate. We had a couple of drinks with Don and Joan who were from Oakville, ON.

Tomorrow morning we have to get an early start to catch the ferry to the South Island.

Martinborough to Neslon


We left Martinborough at 8am for the 1 hour ride to the ferry terminal. The weather was cool but partially sunny. We didn’t know that in order to reach Wellington we had to climb over some high terrain. As we climbed the winding road the weather became cooler, wetter and the wind was quite gusty. We climbed to the bottom edge of the cloud layer before descending back to sea level. It caught us by surprise. We hadn’t dress warmly and it was cool ride but by the time we reached the ferry terminal we were back in partial sunshine.

At the terminal we were instructed to move ahead and park with the other motorcycles. We were surprised that there were so many... between 50 and 75 bikes. We have hardly seen that many in total since we started the trip! It turned out that most of the bikes were headed for Hammer Hot Springs and a 3 day adventure ride though the unpaved mountains roads. The ferry was very much prepared for motorcycles. There was a specific parking area complete with deck mounted cables and tie-down straps.

Getting ready to disembark

It is a 3 hour ferry ride from Wellington to Picton. We headed for the forward bar and coffee shop. While waiting in line to place our order we started talking with a local islander and ended up sitting and chatting with Beven and Colleen for the remainder of the voyage. They are the first locals that we have had a chance to chat with since we arrived.

Once off the ferry we opted for the alternate route once again. We selected the shorter but slower route along Queen Charlotte Sound. It is a narrow winding road up and down the cliffs along the shore. We had only gone a few miles before we encountered 2 stopped cars that had tried to occupy the same portion of pavement. No injuries but they didn’t look happy.

The road was not recommended for larger bikes. The corners were quite tight and because of the cliffs you can’t see around then at all. When approaching the corner it is difficult to ascertain how sharp it is. There is not much room for error so we took it easy.

Queen Charlotte Sound

Nelson is very nice. It reminds us in many ways of Nelson, BC. Mountainous terrain rises from a narrow coastal plain. The downtown area is on the coastal plain and the residential area extends into the hills above it. It looks quite artsy too and Linda is excited about the shopping prospects. Luckily we don’t have much space for additional items but I’m sure we will find room for a few gifts.

We are here 2 night then off to the west coast.