We arrived at Picton, South Island – Te Waipounamu, at 7:00 a.m. after the overnight crossing from Wellington. We are in a fjord about 2 ships wide which meant we had to reverse with the help of pilots into what is normally a giant lumber dock.
We are in a small port at the head of the fjord which is a branch off the main Shakespeare Channel leading from the Cook Strait. Today Picton is a major ferry terminal, a marina for leisure traffic and lumber exports to Japan.
Much of the old town was destroyed by earthquakes in Napier (1933) and Christchurch (2010 and 2011). Fortunately, rebuilding has preserved a small number of Art Deco buildings.
Under preservation is the Edwin Fox (1853), a sailing ship built in Picton and later fitted with an iron-clad hull. Over many years the ship transported immigrants from India and Britain to New Zealand and was involved with the convict trade to Australia and served in the Crimea War.
Finally, under clear skies and temperatures of 21C we departed at 16:40 for Christchurch.
