Back on the move today, with our ferry crossing from Wellington in the North Island to Picton in the South.

As ever we were down at the terminal nice and early, so were able to park up and go for one last look around Wellington for an hour or so before the boat departed. Being close to the parliament buildings, we decided to take a short walk around and sneak a peak before the seat of power.

On our way we walked past the train station and a statue of Gandhi, not what we expected to see but a recognition of the strong links between NZ and India.

Onwards from there we saw one of the few Xmas decorations up on the roadside. Being late Spring here it doesn’t feel at all like the festive season, which may explain why….

Opposite the parliament building was the large Victorian styled Town Hall, which was a real juxtaposition to the modern avant garde ‘beehive’ structure adjacent.

You can do tours of the parliament and we had planned to go when we first arrived on Thursday, however we could only get one space so had to pass it up. We did hope to sneak in today, but it was clear being a government building this wouldn’t be possible, so we had to satisfy ourselves with a brief walk around the entrance and parliament shop and foyer.

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We decided instead to do a self guided tour of the exterior of the building and the adjoining Edwardian parliament building and Victorian library that run in a line.

Up close you can see why the parliament building has been compared to a beehive in its circular design, perhaps not one of the prettiest structures but certainly one that you will remember for being different.

Next door, is the original parliament building constructed in 1922, after a 6 yr build extended due to the lack of manpower post the end of the WWI.

We walked along the line of the three buildings, all constructed in different periods, with individual themes, but somehow they sit well together and complement each other. Perhaps it’s a metaphor for NZ progression through the last 150yrs as it’s moved from being a British colony to an independent country with its own culture and traditions.

Before we knew it, our ‘cruise’ to Picton was coming to an end and we were arriving at the harbour. Fortunately we’d avoided any rough seas, something this crossing is famous for. We did hear from one of the other passengers that not long back, one of the higher sided vans on the car ferry had been blown into the ocean after some very choppy waters. Thankfully for us our car was still there and within 30mins we had found our way to Blenheim, and a very pleasant B&B close to the town centre.

With a couple of complimentary drinks waiting for us in the fridge of our room, we tucked into a sparking white wine, before walking into town for a dinner at a local curry house.

Tomorrow we have booked a couple of wine tasting sessions at Cloudy Bay winery and Wither Hills, both recommendations from the owners of the B&B. After that we have the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic coastal drive down to Kaikōura. This is supposed to be one of the standout coastal drives where you get the chance to take in the turquoise clear waters on the left and the rolling hills to the right.