East Coast of South Island

We continued our way back northward after the Otago Peninsula, and ultimately to Picton where we would take the ferry across the Cook Channel to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, on the north island.  Rae and Derek live about 20 miles north of Wellington, in Upper Hutt.

We stopped by the famous Moeraki Boulders.  From Wikipedia: The Moeraki Boulders are unusually large and spherical boulders lying along a stretch of Koekohe Beach on the wave-cut Otago coast of New Zealand between Moeraki and Hampden.

 Onward up the coast.  Our lodging on the other side of the mountains...

We stopped near here in 2004 and were able to get right down with the seals.  You had to be careful you didn't step on one since they look a lot like the rocks when they are still.  These lookouts weren't here then, and the colony was not protected. 

We stayed a final night on the south island, north of the seals.  About the only thing I remember about the place is that you could go over to the adjacent creek and feed eels!  That, and waiting an hour to get a hamburger at a local eatery.

Then on to the north island, our friends, and the big party...