Up early and down to breakfast smartish as we have to be ready by 8:15. Searching high and low in cabin for Carol's cardigan, but no luck - endless thinking where it could have been left and lost property didn't turn it up. On to the coach for our panoramic sightseeing trip around the sounds. Somewhat unenthusiastic guide but scenery on the trip to Marlborough and Havelock was quite varied and some spectacular. Met up with the other half of the tour who did the catamaran cruise first and we swapped modes of transport. Much more lively and enthusiastic skipper / guide who told us all about the geology wildlife and flora and thebgreat attempts being made to preserve it all with 'no predator' islands and mainland reserves. Main culprit seems to be the opossum which is non native and was introduced twice for the fur trade. Very exclusive and isolated summer homes on the shores of the sounds, many accessible only by water. Stopped to feed the blue cod in the marine reserve then back alongside Volendam and back aboard for lunch. Hey presto as we went into the cabin the first thing we noticed was Carol's cardigan hanging up! Maybe the steward found it in the bed or on the floor. In the afternoon we went ashore and took the shuttle to town where there was a 'Lions' market that apparently appears when cruise ships are in town. Volendam has the reputation of bringing rain but not today as the sun shone almost all day and not a drop of rain. We walked up and down the high street which looked pretty prosperous, funded mainly by the tourist industry as the fishing and whaling have all died out now. Carol purchased the necessary liquids (bottles of water and orange) to keep her going and then caught the shuttle bus back. I explored some more of the town and foreshore looking at yacht brokers and estate agents! Then diverted into the Edwin Fox maritime museum to see the hulk they had preserved in a dry dock. Pretty similar to Bristol's ss Great Britain, but little restoration work has been done as they aim to preserve rather than restore. Very chequered history in various cargoes, convicts and passengers then laid up near the end of the 19th century and eventually moved to Picton as a refrigerated storage hulk. Finally beached nearby when no longer of use and deemed too fragile even to be towed out for target practice. Preservation society managed to build a dock and get her in to it where she now sits protected from the elements. Started following the blue line back to the boat ( wrong direction!) and eventually got aboard to find Carol having tea - no surprise there. In the crows nest to watch the scenic exit from Queen Charlotte Sound. Talked to a kiwi couple from Whitianga. Ship stopped to pay homage to capt Cook memorial in Ship Cove then departed for Akaroa. Dinner by ourselves tonight for a change then to watch the last part of the show. Very crowded and we got separated. Not to Carol's taste so she'd slipped back to the cabin where I soon joined her.
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