Queen Charlotte Sound

We were waiting in the queue at the ferry terminal at 7am, munching on Pain au chocolat with coffee for hubby and tea for myself in the car - delicious! The morning was perfect for sailing, calm with plenty of sun. We departed right on time 9.05am on board Kaiarahi, leaving the picturesque port of Picton behind and sailing into Queen Charlotte Sound, turning into Tory Channel and then across Cook Strait into Wellington Harbour, arriving as planned at 12.35pm.
 
Queen Charlotte Sound/Totaranui is part of the Marlborough Sounds and like the other sounds is a drowned river valley. It was in 1770 that Captain James Cook first saw the sea passage from the Pacific Ocean to the Tasman Sea which was named Cook Strait. Captain Cook sheltered in Queen Charlotte Sound during each of his three voyages of exploration at various points. Queen Charlotte Sound has calm water and is popular for sailing - a marked contrast to the notorious waters of Cook Strait. Many ships have been wrecked close to the entrance to the Sound.
 
This shot was taken early on in Queen Charlotte Sound with the boat ahead of us just about level with The Snout which is the headland of Victoria Domain, which has some good walking tracks with magnificent views. Overall the crossing was picturesque, calm with just a slight swell in Cook Strait.

On arriving in Wellington we met up with Daughter A and M, had some lunch near Island Bay and then went for a wander round the coastline before driving to Masterton.

Another backblip - the end is in sight.....