We sailed through the Queen Charlotte Sound (actually a ria, a drowned river valley) this morning en route to our berth in Picton on the South Island of New Zealand.

We left the ship about 10am; Picton had sent greeters armed with flowers, which they presented to the ladies (I assume they’d have given them to men, but I didn’t ask for one).

We took the “Wines of Marlborough” tour with stops at three wineries, each of which offered a slightly different selection of wines. Our first stop was Forrest Winery, where we got to visit their Sauvignon Blanc grapes, almost ready for harvest.

They offered us four wines to taste: Doctor’s Rose (low alcohol), Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and a Petit Manseng (I’d call it a dessert wine). The last two were the best, but neither of them is available through their US distributor, so we’ll have to save them for our next trip to New Zealand.

Our next stop was Spy Valley Winery, a smaller operation a few minutes’ drive away. They also offered four wines: Sauvignon Blanc (more typical of Marlborough than Forrest’s wine), a very drinkable Rose, a Pinot Gris, and a Pinot Noir, which was my favorite.

Our final winery for the day was Fromm Winery, a small boutique winery which specializes in red wines. We had a Rose, a Pinot Noir, and a Syrah – all were good.

On our way back to the ship, our driver told us about the willow trees that settlers had planted to dry out the wetlands – only to find that they worked too well and really messed up the local ecology. In the 1960s, the government used helicopers to spray defoliant on the trees to kill them; it seems to be working, and the wetlands are slowly returning.

After a snack, we joined our friends to explore Picton. It’s a rather small town, so it didn’t take a long time to see, but I’m glad we went. We had to take a bus from the ship to town; it dropped us near the Marina.

Picton has two War Memorials – one for the Maōri who died in wars, and one for the settlers.

We made a brief stop at Oxley’s Hotel, which was the first property in Picton to be electrified (they had their own generator).

We crossed the Coathanger Bridge to see more of the area around the marina, including this sting ray who was just wandring around, minding its own business.

We came back to the ship about 30 minutes before “all aboard”; we’re now en route to Christchurch, though the weather may prevent us from docking there. We had another nice view of the Queen Charlotte Sound on our way out of town.

Picton is a small town, but it’s got plenty to do!

The city of Napier was nearly destroyed by a huge earthquake on February 3, 1931. Naturally, they rebuilt much of it in the prevailing style of the day: Art Deco. And in 1985, they created an Art Deco Trust, which helps to preserve, protect, and promote Napier’s Art Deco heritage.

Every year, they hold an Art Deco Festival, complete with vintage cars, air shows, music of the 1930s, and thousands of visitors, quite a few of whom cosplay the weekend – and our visit today coincided with the festival.

We saw part of the airshow while we were waiting for our shuttle bus into town.

Our bus dropped us at the War Memorial Centre; we went across the street for a delicious lunch at the Portside Bar, then walked over to the Marine Parade Gardens to look at the festival. Our first stop was the Tom Parker Fountain, done up in proper Art Deco style.

Diane and I wandered around the town taking in the scene.

Clyde Square was used as a temporary shopping area after the earthquake; today, it’s a popular gathering place just outside the main shopping area. It boasts a fountain with impressive water lillies.

We returned to Marine Parade Gardens by way of Emerson Street.

There were many vintage cars and trucks in town for the festival. Some had been imported from countries where people drive on the right side of the road, like this vintage Texaco fuel truck with South Carolina plates.

You could make a small donation to ride up and down the street in one of the vintage cars…or in this steam-driven people mover.

There were a couple of biplanes chasing each other above the coastline; I don’t think they were carrying passengers.

We walked out to the Viewing Platform to enjoy the beach and ocean views, then took a bus back to the ship.

Ralph Harris was the headliner for the evening’s entertainment; he was very, very funny; his show ended just in time for us to enjoy the last of the sunset.