Back To Picton, The Last of The South Island

From the west coast we head along the north coast to Picton to catch the ferry back to the North Island. This coastline is also very beautiful! Full of deep fjords.
Something that I didn't mention before, is the harvesting of lumber in New Zealand. They have, what I think, is a really great way to produce lumber. Trees are grown like a crop. Planted and harvested continually like any crop. As we drove around both islands, we saw evidence of the process. Trees were cut down and replanted to keep the system going. They did it in a way that did not look like the clear cutting process that goes on here in the states. They do it in a way that is not offensive nor too obvious. As you can see in the picture above, there are areas that have no trees right next to areas that are forested. It looks so natural that you'd not have noticed it if I didn't point it out. It even looks good, well manicured. And I'm sure keeps the fire danger down too. When driving, we did notice the forests had all the same sized trees. There were forests that looked big and old, there were forests that looked young and new, with all the same aged trees. And then we'd come across a newly planted tract that looked just that. Freshly harvested and freshly planted, But that was not an eyesore because we knew the process and this is what happens in such a program. I loved it, as we saw signs that read, New Zealand's forests, Supplying the world in a sustainable way! Good on ya NZ!
The two pictures above show the port at Picton where the lumber is loaded and exported to where ever. Here I had a funny experience. I have had trouble understanding the Kiwi's continually on both islands because they tend to speak too quickly and don't pronounce consonants! Here we stopped to take these photos, there was a man there with his children. He was pointing out the lumber and telling them that "when he was a boy, this is the spot that they froze and exported the land." "Before they turned it over to exporting lumber, they exported the land here." I was baffled! I was overhearing him and at one point had to ask, "how did they export the land here?" He responded to me, "LAMB, not LAND". OH! I miss heard you I told him. It wasn't that funny, but was happening all over the place. I could not understand the people very well at all! And they said they were speaking English.
Here we ate dinner before we catch the ferry ride back to the North Island in the morning. It is a beautiful little village, Picton is.
And here is one of the ferries that carry people and autos back and forth.