Cut away from yourself

Kia ora!

My new mates

So, I took the Interislander Ferry from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the  South Island.  It was a huge ship with 10 decks, 3 of them for vehicles including big rigs.  There is no bridge between the two islands of NZ, only 2 ferry services.  Interislander is the larger company with 3 sailings each way daily.  My sailing was at 8:25 am but passengers are supposed to check in by 7:40 am.  They check your luggage which is nice so you can enjoy the 3.5 hour cruise relatively unencumbered.

 So I had an adventure on the ferry crossing.  I went to one of the lounges; it happened to be the bar lounge.  I sat in a quiet corner studying my South Island adventure booklet.  Soon nine men came and joined me.   I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me.  The guys are going hunting and fishing on Stewart Island at the very southern tip of NZ.  Turns out Mike is the only unmarried guy and the youngest in the group.  It's his first (and maybe his last-jk) on this biennial trip.

The South Island

These guys are from the greater Wellington area and this is THE trip where they leave the wife and kids and their work for 2 weeks and relax.  Well, they got off to a great start.  Remember that the ferry sails at 8:25 am.  They had the beer and mixed Jack Daniels out before the ship sailed and kept them coming.  There were 3 designated drivers driving 2 people movers and a ute.  We had a discussion about pick-up trucks (utes), trucks (utes-but not common), SUVs/people movers, semis, B-trains (double semi rig) and fuel prices (NZ$2.50/liter which works out to US$10+/gallon?!).  We talked about government sponsorsed/employer contribution social security pensions (pensions/superannuation), voluntary IRAs (Kiwi Saver), cost of living, paid vacation(holiday)/sick time - all similar except NZ gets more holiday time and less sick time but it probably works out even.  Workers are paid weekly; rent is due weekly here and also in Aussie.

Picton Harbour

We also had a long discussion about guns, gun regulations, hunting, deer eradication, environmental impact, etc.  The gist of it was (from Mike, the late 20s? guy, who had heaps of beer)  "just shoot it" and "cut away from yourself".   LOL!!  NZers must be certified on gun safety and handling before being able to register/purchase any weapon.  NZ did not have ANY native mammals; most were imported for sport in the late 1800s.  Deer and rabbits are a problem and can be hunted seasonally.  Apparently the Department of Conservancy (DoC) aerially sprays poison to kill deer which is controversial because the poison goes on the plants and water indiscriminantly.  And yes, NZers think Americans can buy guns easily and carry them almost anywhere.

Logging is big industry in the Marlborough area

Most of my convo was with 4 of the blokes with the other guys chiming in occasionally.  They wanted to know what I was doing.  Most of the guys were on at least their second partners and had children.  I thought it was interesting that the guys thought that it was right that I get along with my ex but that I should "just shoot it" or "cut away from yourself" about the other woman.  Self protection - male bonding?  One of the quieter blokes thought I was a good sport for sticking around when they all arrived.  (I also heard the word cougar at one point.  LOL!)  A few thought it would be a trip to write home about if I joined them.  It was tempting....

I suspect the DoC sprays herbicide to make logging easier

I purchased a 20 trip InterCity FlexiTrip Pass for $369, which should take care of most of my transport needs between cities.  I can also spend trips on sightseeing tours and on the Interislander Ferry, which I did.  So instead of paying $55, I spend 1 trip for the ferry.  InterCity buses are plush, high up and with huge windows.  I can schedule my trips online or on a toll free phone number and can cancel up to 2 hours before departure without penalty.  There are scheduled 30 minute meal breaks where everyone has to get off the bus and it is locked up.  (No eating or hot drinks on the bus.)  They also stop at the most scenic places for 10 - 30 minutes for photo ops.  Rest/potty breaks are in places that cater for these stops with shops and cafes.  There are also quick stops to pick up/set down (drop off) passengers and believe it or not, drop off/pick up mail for New Zealand Post.

Cattle, dairy, and of course sheep are widely raised

InterCity Coach Lines is the national coach service.  The Kiwi Experience with their green buses cater to the young partying crowd.  The Naked Bus/Atomic Bus is the other large company that provides tourist transpo.  Each of these offer packages with set touring routes that you can do at your own pace (seemed expensive and can't change the itinerary) or passes where you purchase travel by the hour (roughly $8/hour).  InterCity began offering the FlexiTrips pass in January and is still modifying it.  The primary restriction on the FlexiTrips Pass is that you cannot backtrack unless the route demands it.   I wish they had something like that in the States.

I took the coach straight from Picton to Nelson and Abel Tasman National Park.  The coach drivers also provide commentary.  We passed through many vineyards.  Although NZ wines are only 1% of world production, 90% of the Marlborough's edible crops are grapes. Hillside after hillside of orderly plantings of Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine to me - they must not like to use the common name) and  Douglas fir indicate NZ's attempts to log sustainably.

Cheers!
Cyn