Spent most of the ferry ride talking with folks from Colorado, swapping stories. They’d done a European river cruise that I’m doing next year. It’s a small world. The ferry was different. Had a movie theater!
Stopped at a few wineries, including Cloudy Bay, which is common in the USA. Very, very posh. The pourer was from LA, which was a bit of a letdown. She certainly knew her wine though. Very nice time.
The road I’m taking is the alternate to the coast highway 1, which still has a closed section from the 2011 earthquake. This road was not meant for so much traffic, though the authorities are doing a thorough job of keeping it in good shape. This means there’s a lot of work going on. I had to stop at least a half dozen times for one-way traffic. My overnight stop, and B&B, was the only place I could get a reservation, and it’s quite a place. The quality is totally lost on me, but I had very pleasant conversations with the other lodgers. The host was out of his head with shock that I wouldn’t stay for the second B, but I needed to get back on the road. Tomorrow I have to be in Christchurch to prepare for an early morning flight Friday to Fiji. Road conditions are a concern.
From yesterday. Sushi, NZ style.
This monstrosity is the secondary city office building, sitting next to their 100+ year old building. Just awful.
Cloudy Bay truck.
Vineyard and backdrop.