Day 12: Wellington to Kaikoura: Island Hopping

Rob and I had forgotten how much our boys love hotel breakfast buffets. They were bouncing with anticipation of a free hotel breakfast.

After breakfast we packed up and went to ride the iconic Wellington Cable Car. We were a bit pressed for time so we made it a quick up and down trip.

Next up was the 3.5 hour ferry ride to the South Island. It was a very well orchestrated process. We each took some sea sickness medicine to test it out in preparation for later smaller boat trips. Not sure if it was the drugs or the rolling waves (or both), but we were all very sleepy shortly after starting the ride. The ride went quickly with most time spent watching sports on the television and some walks on the outdoor decks.

Upon arriving to the South Island we made a quick pit stop at Ward Beach. It was super rainy and windy so only Cooper and I ventured out to see these 65 million year old round boulders that were uncovered in the 2016 earthquake. We took some pictures, enjoyed hopping over the smooth large rocks to get back to the car, and hit the road again.

We saw so many sheep and vineyards on this drive, along with many miles of beaches. Just before we arrived in Kaikoura (our home for the next three nights), Rob pulled over for a quick stop so we could get a good look at the seals dotting the coastline.