Day 70 - Cook Strait over to a whole new island

Dull dull misty start - grrr.  But, o ye of little faith, it cleared up.  A beautiful bright end to a calm crossing from Wton to Picton over the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands (also connecting the Tasman Sea to the west with the South Pacific) - 22 km (14 mile) wide at its narrowest point but apparently one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world.

But I'm getting ahead of myself - in the morning, we caught the 10am tour of the Parliament (Parliament House including the House of Representatives, the Parliamentary Library and the Beehive - or Executive Wing)  Much focus on the wonders of reinforcing the building and the floor to make it (more) earth-proof and emphasising how they've flogged on the know-how to San Fran and Tokyo (party line to justify spending those tax dollars!) but also some history on the rebuild after the 1907 fire and the duly impressive Chamber of Representatives .  

Sadly, no cameras allowed inside so you'll have to imagine the wooden wall-carvings with paua (local mother-of-pearl abalone shell) in the warriors' eye-sockets, adopting very fetching grimaces and bellicose tongue poking; the post-fire recreated marble panelling, stained glass, tiled floors (from Stoke-on-Trent, the only thing which appeared not to be locally sourced).

And then to Bluebridge terminal 

for a very full Straitsman ferry; the BlueBridge competitor, Interislander, last week "lost" a propeller (apparently it fell off in the Strait and divers haven't found it yet - is that the sound of the negligence action Claim Form being drafted?) and so we were choc-a-block.  

Two interesting facts of the day (well, well-known and/or self-evident for any Kiwis...) : when you travel from Wton on the North island to Picton on the South island, you're actually going due West as they're on the same latitude, and the ferry counts as a continuation of State Highway, allowing it to run the length of the islands.  These facts we read on signs at the Picton waterfront, eating our excellent fish and chips as we watch the sunset...

But meanwhile one last shot of the day...