It must be Murphy’s Law – because why does it always seem to rain when it is time to move on? Most of the truckers had departed already, although a group were still having their big breakfasts in the diner. The truckstop offers motel style units where the drivers sleep overnight, and the diner is “open all hours” to cater for those who arrive in the small hours.
Robin needed his rain jacket on he attended to the outside chores in getting the caravan hitched up. For the cost of a $12 token we could take the car and caravan onto the dual weighbridge. This would take away any guesses as to the actual weight of our fully laden caravan.
We were weighed with full fresh water and waste water tanks, a full gas bottle, and a full tank of diesel in the 4WD. Together with our generator, two BBQs, ladder, and far too many books, Robin told me. Plus the faulty batteries in the front of the caravan, which we hope to get a refund for on our return home. The grand total was 5240kg, made up of 2910kg for the 4WD, and 2330kg for the caravan.
It was a short 40km drive up SH1 from Blenheim to Picton, the final stop on our South Island Odyssey trip. Picton, named after Sir Thomas Picton, is the first port of call in the South Island for those crossing Cook Strait by inter-island ferry from Wellington, and it really doesn’t seem three months since our group arrived here in mid February. Those months have just flown by!
The town seems much quieter now winter is almost here, and some businesses seemed to be closed now that the high season is over. We took a stroll along the attractively paved waterfront and gazed out over hundreds of high value boats, there’s a whole lot of serious money tied up in these moorings.
The striking War Memorial gates are very much a Picton icon, and steps lead down from here to the waterfront, with a view out to the Queen Charlotte Sounds, framed by the many palm trees in the gardens. The great navigator Captain James Cook named the sounds after George 3rd’s wife, Queen Charlotte.
Waikawa Bay Kiwi Camp is our stop for the next few nights. This gives us a chance to do a little last minute exploring, as Picton is usually one of those places you arrive at and then drive straight to the ferry terminal.
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