The sunny north (of the south island)

The ferry ride from Wellington (in the north island) to Picton (you guessed it - in the south island) was spectacular. Gorgeous blue sea, and then gorgeous sounds (as in beautiful spaces in the sea surrounded by mountains) as we entered the south island. We stayed in a lovely backpacker hostel in Picton, with not only an outdoor spa but FREE apple crisp served after dinner. Or before dinner, if you cook late like we did. Mmm. The next day we got up bright and early so that we could catch the ferry that would take us to a drop-off point for the Queen Charlotte Track. It was absolutely gorgeous: we were basically walking along the ridge of a mountain and overlooking a glassy, aquamarine sea surrounded by bush-clad hills.
After renting a car for three days with no more of a plan than to drive around the northern coast, we realized hey, we could go to Abel Tasman National Park, which is probably the most well-known site of interest in NZ. So we braved the windy, curvy, hilly, narrow roads at night (ok, Brian did) so that we could get up in the morning and tramp for five hours to Separation Point and back. We were not disappointed. About 15 minutes into the trail, we were greeted by panoramic vistas for about the next hour, the sky and the sea a color blue I wish I could describe. Separation Point was well worth the walk; we ate our cheese sandwiches on huge boulders just above the sea, watching fur seals swim and sun themselves on rocks nearby.
We finished our vacation in the north with a picnic on a beach of pebbles in Kaikura. There's nothing like fish & chips with the wind blowing and the waves crashing in.