DAY 9: TO THE SOUTH ISLAND!

We got up early on this rainy morning and caught a 7:30 Am ferry to the South Island. The weather was pretty bad as we left Wellington, but it cleared up by the time we had crossed the Cook Strait. We transferred to the train at Picton and headed down the coast to Christchurch, arriving about 6:30 PMWe were met in Christchurch by our hosts from the Ngai Tahu, the tribe that is dominant on the South Island. They took us to the "whare" (i.e. meeting house) of the Maori Students Association at the University of Canterbury. It's a place where Maori students can come to any time, to study, to meet, to eat, and even to sleep. We were given mattresses and sleeping bags and we camped out in the living room, and were fed two great meals. Totally welcoming!