On Monday I took the train from Christchurch to Picton. It takes 5.15 hours and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I was sitting at the right, so a great view over the ocean. We have seen some dolphins and whales. There was an open carriage in the train, quite chilly, but great for making pictures, without getting your own reflection in the windows.
I've stayed three nights in Picton Lodge. Officially it was a 8 bed dorm, but the first night I had this room on my own. The second night I shared it with 3 other people and the last night just one other girl.
In Picton I’ve done a little mountainbiketour to explore the city/town, surrounded by mountains and ocean. For Tuesday I've booked a tour Kayaking and hiking in Marlborough Sound and Queen Charlotte Track.
Kayaking was easier and the kayak was more stable than I expected. I shared the kayak with an English guy who lives in New Zealand since two years. I let him do the steering (with the feet) and after some practising we were quite a good team. He just followed my paddling (left and right) and I wasn't panicking too much when we were heading to the coast too much. Maybe a lot easier than the rowing with Jan (my brother), who somehow thought he was the captain and can tell me how to row ;). We have seen a lot of animals, mainly birds.
After the kayaking the group divided in hikers and bikers. I've hiked a part of the Queen Charlotte track together with an Australian couple. The hike was lovely, with a great view over the Marlborough Sound and beautiful trees and mushrooms. And I hardly felt any pain in my feet, because I was distracted by the nice conversation we had. We were glad that we have chosen for the hike, because moutainbiking on this track was a lot harder on these narrow, steep paths. Officially the hike was 4 hours, but we did it in almost 3 hours and we took the watertaxi back to Picton.
Together with the Swiss girl I met in my hostel I have done a beautiful walk along the coast on Wednesday morning. From this height we had a perfect view over the Marlborough Sound, the harbour and Picton. And we had a good picknick in the park near the harbour. Life in Picton seems perfect. In the afternoon I've visited the Edwin Fox museum about one of the oldest ships. This ship has seen a lot of the world (for example Bomarsund in Aland) and Suomenlinna, Sveaborg in Finland, in the Crimean war and to bring convicted people to Australia and immigrants to New Zealand.
In the afternoon I have done some shopping, like a necklace with the Paua shell, and I've had some nice conversations with shop owners. No idea if my view is coloured right now (being on a very long holiday), but people here are really friendly and pleasant. Not in a hurry, so they seem to have enough time to explain things to me, and are curious about my opinion about their country. Later I have been sitting for a very long time in the park near the harbour, reading a magazine. It was lovely weather and I've just enjoyed the fresh air. I've spoken for a while with an Australian woman, who had been in the Netherlands, some year ago.
In the hostel I have made my best dinner on this trip ever, with spinach, apricots, ham, noodles, apple, avocado etc.
And in the evening I have done another mountainbiketour, for the last time in a small quiet place before I will return to the big city (Christchurch) or even more crowded Netherlands.
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| 10-13/3 Picton |
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