Last updated on January 8, 2024
We never intended to take a 5+ hours bus ride on this trip. Our original plan was to fly to Nelson from Christchurch but since everything is closed on Dec. 25, and that’s when we planned to travel to Picton, we scrapped the visit to Nelson.
We had tickets to take the train from Christchurch to Picton. However, the night before, calamity struck. I can’t tell you the nature of the calamity, and trust me, I’m not being evasive. The problem is that I sometimes have trouble understanding what people are saying here. And so, I do know that no one was hurt but something happened and the train was not okay. Our best option was to take the replacement bus and accept a 50% refund on the price of the train.
We left Christchurch promptly at 7am. I have to admit some trepidation because the bus driver was an old man and I heard the staff negotiating with him about how long he could drive for without taking a break. He seemed confident, though, so I decided to trust that all would be well.
One advantage of the bus is the opportunity for comedy. About 2 hours into the trip, a little boy started whining, kicking his father’s chair ahead of him, and generally acting out. His father tried distracting him with technology but he would not be consoled. Eventually, the father gave up trying to distract him and let him pee into a water bottle. The lady sitting in front of us was rather disgusted. I was entertained by her commentary throughout the trip. She was basically pissed off thet she needed to take a bus in lieu of a train, that people wandered off to buy coffee when we had a toilet stop, that people took a few minutes extra for the lunch stop, that the bus was not a train.
Apart from my eavesdropping, the trip was uneventful. It was a beautiful ride along the coast with views of the sea, rolling hills and farms. The road follows the train tracks most of the way, and we passed grazing deer, sheep, cows, goats and horses (that I noticed). We also passed a lot of vineyards as we got closer to Picton.
We got to Picton only 8 mins behind schedule. This was perfect to drop off most of my luggage at our next hotel, and for us to grab lunch before our ferry ride to Te Mahia.
One Night at Te Mahia
We caught the Cougar Lines ferry from Picton to Waterfall Bay at 14:30. At checkin for the ferry, we ran into Roberta from our bus ride. She was on her way to Te Mahia to meet up with her family for Christmas. She told us she was carrying some dishes for Christmas dinner with her! We continued chatting on the ferry and I was amazed to learn that she’s 81! She looked healthy with to great mobility, walking the 45 mins up and over the hill from Waterfall Bay to Te Mahia at a steady pace! We also got to meet her son, his wife and his son on the walk.
We stayed in a studio at Te Mahia Bay Resort. There were 3 beds, a full kitchen and everything we needed for our stay. There were even chairs for use on the beach. Everything was pristine, 100m from the beach, with beautiful views of the sound. We needed to preorder dinner and breakfast (or could have bought eggs and snacks from their small store).
After dark, we went for a walk along a road and to the Te Mahia wharf to see the glow worms. I don’t particularly like worms, but I was fascinated by their glow. I expected them to be on leaves but the seemed to be on the moss or directly on the hilltop instead.
Te Mahia was a lovely, restful place. We only spent the one night before walking up and over the hill once more to catch the ferry back to Picton the next day.
These pics are from Te Mahia except for the first one which is on the walk.
Here are some pics from the ferry ride back.
Two Nights in Picton
We were in Picton over Christmas when most shops were closed. Thankfully, since we arrived on the afternoon of the 24th, we had a chance to buy groceries and enjoy a nice dinner at Oxley’s.
On Christmas Day, C went for a hike while I rested and watched TV. My toe had its most painful day yet but at least a healthy pink. I also spent minutes trying to spread my toes. I got it into my head that this is important for foot health and I can’t do it. Can you?
Tuesday dawned sunny and beautiful. I’ve just packed and had breakfast, and will be heading to check in for the Interislander ferry to Wellington in a few minutes.
If you’re celebrating it, I hope you had a good Christmas!
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