April 25th, New Zealand Day 10

These photos are from my last day on the South Island, and my first day on the North Island.

As we left for Picton on the bus, I snapped this photo of the snow-capped Abel Tasman through these palm trees. 

I'n not sure why, but I really like this photo of part of the Abel Tasman in the background and Nelson in the foreground. For reasons I can't explain it made me think of Iceland, though I've never been there. 

This is a photo of part of the Abel Tasman as we left Nelson to get to our ferry. 

This is a memorial arch in Picton where we caught the ferry which took us to Wellington. 

This is the ferry that took us from Picton on the South Island to Wellington on the North Island. 

These are the calm Malborough Sounds which the ferry first navigated on the way to the North Island. 

This, and the next 2 photos, form a series which shows the mouth of the Tory Channel where the ferry exited the Malborough Sounds and entered the rough waters and the howling winds of the Cook Strait. 

Photo 2 

Photo 3 

This is a band of minstrels that played on one of the middecks as the ferry crossed the Cook Strait. They played mostly jazz stuff, quite good actually, but it made me feel a bit uneasy as the Titanic had also had a band onboard. 

This is the South Island as seen from topside port-stern of the ferry. Those are 5 meters swells that you see and I am very high up in the air, so you can see by how much the Cook Strait was churned up that day. Bear in mind that the day before, the waves were twice as high. 

This is the North Island as seen from the port topside of the ferry. 

This is a photo of 2 kinds of mountains those on land, and those at sea. These waves may not look impressive but keep in mind that I am about 15 to 20 meters above the surface. 

This is a town near Wellington on the seaward side of Wellington Harbour. 

Near the entrance to Wellington Harbour is this interesting feature, 2 lighthouses in very close proximity to each other. 

This is Wellington as seen from the ferry that brought us there. The reason for the grainy nature of the photo is that there was a sea fog as we came in. 

In the waters off Wellington, there is this fountain and the ship to the right of the photo is the Spirit of New Zealand. This tallship travels the country with a crew of youths and it is part of a program meant to foster leadership and responsibility skills for its crew. 

This is Wellington at sunset from the top of Mount Victoria. 

This is where I got off the bus in Wellington, the Te Papa Museum. Its name is Maori for "Our Land" and it is New Zealand's national museum. From what the brochure told me, it has many interactive displays which makes it quite unique. 

On my walk to New Zealand's Parliament, I happened to pass through this place which is the Forum of Wellington's City Hall. The ball in the top center of the photo is suspended by 4 thin cables. 

This is the first of 3 photos which show all of the buildings which make up New Zealand's Parliamentary Precinct. This building, I believe, is the Parliamentary Library. 

Photo 2 

Photo 3 

This is the statue of New Zealand's first Prime Minister, a man by the name of Seddon. 

This is The Beehive where the Parliament of New Zealand meets. It's easy to see why the structure has the name that it does.