Owhiro Bay Sunset

Despite being up 4.30, despite leaving home pretty much as planned at 5.30 and despite resisting all temptation to stop and photograph some beautiful eerie early morning mist and fog, I still managed to almost miss the ferry!  I'd allowed an hour and a half to there - a standard time, I thought.  I hadn't however factored in that:
1) I live on the south side of Nelson - add 10 minutes to get to town.   
2) I wasn't going to Blenheim, I was going to Picton, another 15 or so minutes on
3) My van doesn't travel as fast as my car.  Add another 10 or so minutes to the journey.

Anyway, I arrived with the loading gates still open and they very kindly allowed me on.  Thank goodness I'd printed my booking info yesterday so with it, they could process me pretty much on the spot.  Go Bluebridge ferries :)

Spent an incredible 4 or 5 hours at Te Papa and met up with J, M's sister who works there. Just a short chat over some refreshments.  Nice to see a familar face in the big city.

J suggested that, to get to my chosen camp site tonight I could drive round the bays instead of, as I'd planned, the much shorter, more direct and quicker route straight up over the hill.  I was sooooo pleased I took up her suggestion - a stunning coastline with hundreds of people out and about on the beaches, in the cafes, enjoying summer.

The place I'm staying at tonight - Owhero Bay - is really only a coastal carpark (with about 3 dozen other campervanas and cars all tucked in for the night!) but it has an amazing outlook across Cook Strait towards the Kaikoura Ranges, and the water is lapping the foreshore just metres away from where I'm parked.  Wonderfully relaxing.  Add to that a stunning sunset and it feels like the perfect start to the holiday :)