We flew from Wellington to Blenheim which is located in the northern part of the south island.  We then drove via bus to Marlborough Sound.   The countryside was beautiful.  These are some of the pictures I took from the bus as we drove.

When we reached Marlborough Sound, we took a lunch cruise.  Marlborough Sound is made up of old river valleys that are now filled with water from the Pacific Ocean.  The views are beautiful.

While on the cruise, we enjoyed lunch and green-lipped mussels.  About 70% of New Zealand’s green-lipped mussels come from Marlborough.   At some point it was noted that Maori living near the coast suffered less orthopedic disorders such as arthritis than those living in the interior of New Zealand.  This was attributed to diet – and specifically to green-lipped mussels.  In addition to people just enjoying their taste, some use medications with extracts from the green-lipped mussels for medicinal purposes.