First steps on the South Island! We took the giant ferry across the Cook Straight, then a smaller boat to the start of the trail. We saw some cool birds on the way and were lucky to spot some of the smallest and rarest dolphin species on the planet.

In the afternoon, we walked the first 5 kilometers of the Queen Charlotte Track, a wide and well-maintained track that is a great introduction to the beauty the South Island has to offer.

The bush looks, smells and sounds different here, with a variety of new plants and birds, and the deafening high pitch of a million "singing" cicadas.

Another day in paradise. The views have been similar in the past three days, but they're still spectacular to look at. We walk to another picturesque bay with campsite and have another salty swim.

At night, I dive into the sea once more, because there is bioluminescence in the water! It's cold, but absolutely magical. It's like swimming through a galaxy, with tiny bright blue stars flying across my arms and legs while I swim.

We continue to be mesmerized by the many shades of blue the water of the sounds can be, while walking the last few km of the trail. When we start roadwalking, it begins to rain, of course. Oh, well. To forget the wet and cold, we have a fancy mussel dinner in Havelock.