A farewell blast from South Island

We left Blenheim in warm sunshine yesterday for a very twisty route up the east coast to a very nice DOC site at the wonderfully named Whatamango Bay.

However as dusk arrived so did the beginning of a 40 knot gale (not even mentioned in the forecast yesterday morning - one gets the impression that weather in the Cook Straight changes quickly). Thankfully we were pretty well sheltered by the trees and bushes behind us but the sound of the gusts roaring down the valley through the trees sounded like an approaching express train! The wind this morning is abating but our hope of a nice smooth ferry crossing might prove to be a tad optimistic!  Ah well.