Picton / NZ

Driving up the coast to Picton you pass some good wineries. I didn't stop, had to drive anyhow. Next time I definitely would take a bike and cycle from winery to winery :-). 

Arriving in Picton 190 km later after I started in Kaikoura I first went to the Campsite Parkland Marina Holiday Park.

I went back the road and parked at the school / university. Whatever is on the way ;-) and went on a track leading to the Snout Track.
It's a oneway track though you are coming back the same way, it offers fantastic views on the Queen Charlotte Sound. There is a stop with a bench with a fantastic view. Stop, take a breath and just enjoy. From there you can walk on to the snout of the headland. This part is ok, but I really liked the spot at the bench :-)
 

Queen Charlotte Sound

The green hill to the right is the Snout you will be walking

Queen Charlotte Sound

 

View from the boat to the snout

kind of warm keeping, smelly ;-) neo

For the next day I had booked a Dolphin swim trip via bookme.co.nz I know this is very touristy but I heard from friends it was a fantastic thing to do and it's not with trained dolphins, but free ones. 

And this is how lucky I have been. It didn't happen (though as with the whale boat trip I got most of the cost reimbursed), but I am sure it would have been a great experience.
Nevertheless, first we have seen a whole bunch of Hector dolphins. This was fantastic. They are protected and you are not allowed to get into the water with them, but they were swimming and jumping around our boat.
We went on cruising the Sound, which was a nice trip. Not the best had been that they told us to wear the neo from the start, in case we quickly had to jump into the water. Result, we were sweating in the suites, it was pretty cool that day, though in a matter they kept us warm but after a while it also got cool.
As we didn't see any dolphins we were allowed to jump into the water with a few seals. It was nice, but freaking cold (I know I am writing this months later, but when this took place it was February, means summmmmer).

Searching for dolphins

Hector dolphin and its calf

Just beneath our feet

Jumping and having fun

Our swim partner

On the boat I met a great woman working to direct a documentary about the ferry between North and South Island. We went to have yummy lunch in Picton and then I left via Queen Charlotte Drive to head to Abel Tasman.