Up early and off to Havelock, about 1 hour drive around the windy roads and looking down on the Sounds again. Found a lovely bakery for 1st breakfast (we are hobbits today with our multiple meals)...
Got to the Boat in good time and had 2nd breakfast at the Slip Inn Cafe right next to the boat dock and got organised for the day.
Lovely day cruising up and down the little inlets/outlets along the Pelorus Sound, top speed was 12 knots so it was definitely cruising. Dropped mailbags, groceries and parcels to about 8-10 homesteads and resorts. These folk live without any ammenities, they do have an unreliable landline for safety reasons but everything else they must supply. The mailboat drops off weekly, it does 3 different routes.
We had some spectacular cloud formations on the way back, rolling over the mountains and hitting the mountains etc.. Saw some wildlife, dolphins, seals, birds etc but couldn't get good pictures of any of them.
Sadly a lot of the sides of the hills/mountains are pine forests and this look very odd, and doesn't make the owner a lot of money anymore, but is very damaging to the general eco culture. They are very aware of the imported predators and are going to measures to deal with this and are proud of their 'predator free areas and islands'.
Lovely part of the world down here, drove home after 6.5 hours on the boat for a quick dinner and into bed, we were exhausted doing nothing.
Photo's to follow......
