We arrived before dawn, entering the calm waters of Queen Charlotte Sound, passing islands and inlets that seem left behind as the Southern Island continues to drift away from the north.

Picton is the gateway to the Southern Island. It is a crucial terminal for goods to continue along this rail system separated by the Cook Strait. One would expect Picton to be an industrial complex, but it is nothing like that; it is a picturesque postcard of a town, adorned with Queen Palms along the harbor, surrounded by steep hills and mountains crowed with trees that bend down to the water’s edge.

There are some great shops in town and sewn between are bars, restaurants, coffee shops, book, craft, and sporting goods stores. There is a nice public library and a couple of museums. There always seems to be a craft fair and down along the docks are more than enough kayaking adventure and bicycle shops to to take you anywhere and everywhere. The Southern Island is a magnet for the adventurers, who spill off the ferry with backpacks, hiking sticks, tents, campers, adventure motorcycle and cycling clubs.

If there is one pride of a Picton it is that of the Edwin Fox, which is one of the worlds oldest surviving merchant sailing ships. What makes this ship unique was the copper fitted to the hull, making the Edwin Fox the “only” intact hull of a wooden deep water sailing ship built to British specifications. One can still see the intriquate dove-tailing between the teak structures.

I don’t know if it was the recent loss of a dear friend, but the story of the Edwin Fox is heartfelt. This once modern ship built in Calcutta in 1853, during the height of wooden sailing ships, transported settlers to a new land, then prisoners, then retrofitted as a cold storage ship to transport lamb back to Europe. It was a working ship, lending a hand where needed, asking nothing in return. Eventually the masts were stripped away and a hole cut into its side–– used to store coal until 1950 when finally put out of service. In 1965 it was bought for one shilling by the Edwin Fox Society and towed to Shakespeare bay where it remained, listing on its side for the next 20 years. After some fundraising, the Edwin Fox was moved to its final resting place, where restoration began in 2013.

But seeing the shell of this ship in dry dock was not sad. I could see the masts and rigging, the wind filled sheets billowing and the copper lined hull reflecting the froth of waves curling from its bow. It is but a memory of itself, but a memory I will always keep in my heart.

The Edwin Fox is undergoing another phase of restoration, so we were only able to see from the outside. The museum has a wonderful film and some artifacts, worthy and not to be missed.

And now the dress (#5)