Heading back to the North Island.

Right now we are on the Kaitaki a 9 deck ferry as big as some ocean liner on a beautiful day with clear blue skies and turquoise seas.  Looks like we will have another smooth crossing.  We upgraded to a "club lounge and  it is all you can eat and drink with free wifi and great views. We have already seen dolphins and are hoping to see whales as well.
More about our trip to the south Island.after Kaikura we headed to Christ Church a very European city where we took a city tour via a trolley then wandered around "Cathedral square.  The earthquake damage was bad but most of the city was spared.  Then it was on to Springfield which is at the foot of "Arther's Pass" the lowest trans ocean crossing of 4. Spectacular views but mostly seen  by Nan as the roads were narrow, with single lane tunnels and bridges, horseshoe and "S" curves.  Then it was up the coast to Punikacki and Pancake rocks. Natural limestone formations that resemble stacks of, guess what, Pancakes.  The south Island is amazing as the east coast seems to be grey and foreboding seascapes with brown hillsides on the inland side of the road.  The west coast is sun drenched inviting beaches and tropical rain forest.  Our trips are getting shorter as the drive is getting harder and we are getting picture weary. Found a boring little town called Westport and found another "Back Packer"  We are doing mostly our own cooking as most places we book have kitchens and we frequently make picnic lunches to enjoy at the numerous road side picnic spots.  After Westport we drove to Nelson with a stop to hike "Buller Gorge" crossed the gorge on the longest swing bridge in New Zealand and hike to an old mining camp.  In Nelson we found the best back packer and had a beautiful stay.  We would definitely like to spend more time in Nelson, it is the largest fishing port in the country.  We dined on a fish chowder of perfection and then fish and chips to die for on a balcony overlooking the ocean.  Then we had the brilliant idea to scramble up a "widow maker" of a hill so we could find the exact geographical center of New Zealand.  I am proud to say I have lived to tell about it.ended up celebrating with a beer at an outdoor pub on Trafalgar St.  We  have decided to try and stay longer so we have our travel agent looking to keep us here a couple more weeks.  Plan to be home no earlier than Feb 28 or no later than March 4 but it all depends on the penalties.