The next chapter from our New Zealand adventure is ready for your reading pleasure! Check out the earlier chapters here, and give the new YouTube Channel a look if you are interested in both our travel videos and my marksmanship competitions (mostly action pistol). There are still a few more days to enter the drawings for the neat prizes! Details are here and at the end of the article. Enjoy!
Our trip to Hobbiton marked the end of our time on New Zealand’s North Island. Jenny and I were exhausted, but we had a ferry to catch early in the morning. After a short night of sleep in our camper-pod, we rose at 3:30 am and drove in the pitch dark to Wellington to turn in our rental car and catch our ferry to the South Island town of Picton.
I have to admit that despite the fact that Jenny drove and I slept the whole way from our camper pod, I was grumpy when we arrived at the ferry terminal. Our McDonald’s trip the evening before was no longer cutting it, and I was now hangry from a short night of sleep. Jenny and I sat in the Ferry terminal, snacking on our meager snack foods, watching groups of travelers check in for our upcoming ferry ride. Our travel companions on this trip included a group of teenagers that looked like they were headed to a sporting competition together, numerous mountain bikers and road cyclists, scruffy backpackers, and a bunch of camper vans and overlanders with their campers and trucks crammed into the hold of the massive ferry.
While we waited to board the ferry, we realized that the ferry also had the option to upgrade to a private cabin for a meager fee. We were lucky enough to snag one when we boarded, and the first order of business was to get a quick nap.
Of course, Jenny and I couldn’t sit still for too long. Jenny was the first to shake off the weariness, and she made her way to the observation deck before we even left the Wellington Port. It took me a bit longer to wake back up, but within an hour or so I was up and at ’em, eager to watch the sea pass by while sipping on an over-priced (but still cheap) cappuccino from the ferry’s small cafe.
The ferry ride was just over three hours from Wellington to Picton, and Jenny and I passed it sitting in the cafe reading, standing on the observation deck oohing and aahing over the sights of the channel.
Over the course of my lifetime, the bulk of my travel has been done either via automobile on many road trips or via plane. In the past couple years, I have had the fortune to take a few trains, busses, and ferries. When Jenny was first planning out our New Zealand trip, we considered flying from the North Island to the South Island, and I am super glad that she chose the ferry instead. The comparative stress of boarding and riding the ferry was much lower than that of any airport I’ve ever been to, and the relative comfort was much higher. It was much slower, but it was nice to be able to unwind and relax as we got ready for the next stage of our adventures.
After our luxurious, casual three-hour ferry ride, we arrived in Picton and offloaded quickly. The camper van we rented was already ready for us, waiting across the street from the ferry terminal. After a quick orientation on the ins and outs of the camper from the rental company employee, we were off on the next stage of our adventure. The next week was one of the best weeks I’ve ever had.
Details on how to win prizes:
First, through the Norseman Creative Shop or in person, buy any combination of two books (Frozen Reaction, Rajah’s ABC’s, or Retrograde Absolution), and receive not only those two book signed, but also a chance to win a coaster set from Bearded Vet Workshop, absolutely free!
Second, if you already have a copy of any of my books, take a rad photo in a rad location or doing something cool with any of the books. Once you have what you think is a dope photo, send the picture to me via Instagram (@norsemancreative), or post to Instagram and tag @norsemancreative. The best one, as judged by me and my wife, will receive a complete swag pack from Norseman Creative.
Third, rate and review Frozen Reaction, Rajah’s ABC’s, The Hungriest Girl and/or Retrograde Absolution on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Barnes & Noble and send a screenshot of the review to @norsemancreative on Instagram. All reviews will be placed in a random generator and a winner will be sent a Norseman Creative Slap Pack and a Norseman Creative Patch. If you review each book on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble, each review earns separate entries, so your chances get really good here!
Fourth, show you’re an even bigger fan of this janky blog than my own mother by getting the Norseman Creative Logo tattooed on your body for a chance to win something from one of my “collections”. Size and Location of tattoo, how well I know and like you, and how quickly you get the tattoo done determine which “collection” your prize comes from. DM @norsemancreative on Instagram or text me proof that it is a real tattoo for your opportunity to win.
Last, an additional way to win: Everyone who subscribes to Norseman Creative will be entered into a chance to win a special pen being designed by Bearded Vet Workshop, which is run by an old friend of mine! My current subscribers are already entered to win this one, so they don’t have to unsubscribe and resubscribe.
P.S. – Final, secret way to win, be the first person ever to order a Reverse Fan Mail and receive a surprise gift. A good surprise, I promise.