New Zealand: Interislander Ferry across Cook Strait
The calendar page flips over to the 14th of July (2012).
I’ve spent a quiet week with friends in Wellington, New Zealand, and it’s time I head south to see Te Wai Pounamu or the South Island for the first time. My first destination is Christchurch, and I could fly there. But I’m in no hurry, and I want to experience the scenery route with a ferry across Raukawa Moana, otherwise known as Cook Strait.
I’ve arranged passage from Wellington on the North Island (Te Ika a Maui) to Christchurch on the South Island with ferry- and coach-service with KiwiRail. The journey begins with the Interislander ferry whose arrival is timed to match the departure time of the Coastal Pacific train leaving Picton for Christchurch.
There’s little car traffic at 8am on this Saturday morning in Wellington. But it’s also cold, grey, misty, gusty, and pouring rain: another typical winter day in Welly. As I’m dropped off at Aotea Quay, I can see the large ferry vessel. I’m in luck – I’m going to board one of the largest vessels in the fleet – the Kaitaiki.
The 815am ferry is the first Interislander ferry of the day on the winter schedule. The ferry slowly moves out and into the harbour, leaving sleepy Wellington behind, then heading east and south into the harbour. Upon reaching the deep waters of Cook Strait, the ferry heads west-northwest until we’re in sight of the South Island. At Marlborough Sounds, the water passage or Torry Channel is narrow, and the ferry must slow down as it winds way west towards Picton.
While the ferry reminds me of another ferry passage back home in British Columbia (between Tsawwassen on the mainland and Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island), the three-and-a-half-hour Interislander provides incredible and beautiful views, even through low cloud, fog, and heavy rain showers.
Sure enough, by 1140am, Picton is in sight and the ferry arrives quietly. I don’t even have to pick up my luggage and transfer it over myself; another advantage of the combined itinerary with KiwiRail is the automatic baggage-transfer from ship to rail. It’s a short 10 minute walk from the ferry terminal to the adjacent train station. I check-in and it’s just a matter of waiting for the Coastal Pacific train to leave at 1pm for Christchurch.
Te Weranga o Waitohi is the full name for what is now called Picton. ‘Waitohi’ refers to the sacred waters that were used in rituals by the Te Ātiawa people before going into battle (Stuff NZ).
Past Seatoun into Breaker Bay
Shallow rocks; Strathmore Park on the Miramar peninsula
At the harbour exit/entrance (Te Au-A-Tane), east to Pencarrow Head (Te Raeakiaki)
On board “Kaitaki” Interislander ferry from Wellington to Picton
Lyall Bay, WLG airport
Shining on Wellington harbour (Port Nicholson)
Sinclair Head (North Island), from Cook Strait
Made in Holland
South coast of the North Island
Moving forward into Cook Strait
Wellington to Picton, map 1 of 4
Across Cook Strait (Raukawa), map 2 of 4
Entering Tory Channel & the South Island, map 3 of 4
Queen Charlotte Sound into Picton, map 4 of 4
In Cook Strait, approaching the South Island
West Head, entering Tory Channel
East Head, entering Tory Channel
Looking aft into Tory Channel
In Tory Channel (Kura Te Au) with this starboard-view to Te Awaiti Bay and Arapaoa Island, and New Zealand’s first station for shore whaling in 1827. Whaling wouldn’t last long as hunting quickly depleted the number of whales swimming through these waters.
Port and aft
Foggy cove, one of many on the South Island
In Queen Charlotte Sound (Tōtaranui, “many large tōtara trees” ), with the port-side view facing south to Waikawa Bay. In the foreground is a narrow spit in the shape of a long nose; this geographical feature is called “The Snout” with its tip naturally called Snout Point. In Maori, the feature is Te Ihumoeone-ihu, which many have translated as “nose of the sandworm.” However, as moeone is the Maori name for stone- or groper-bass (polyprion americanus) that’s found in these waters, I might go with “mouth/snout of the bass.”
Entering Picton Harbour
Welcome to Picton
Docking next to the Bluebridge vessel in Picton
In addition to the Interislander ferries, Bluebridge also traverses the same route both ways across Cook Strait. On arrival at either terminal, passengers are free to rent (hire) a car or to ride coaches to reach their destinations.
In subsequent travel, I’m on two additional trains on New Zealand’s South Island:
• my trip on the Coastal Pacific train from Picton to Christchurch along the Pacific coast.
• my trip on the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth over the Southern Alps.
Disclosure: No Connection, Unpaid, My Own Opinions. I have not received compensation for this post, and I have no material connection to the Interislander Ferry or Tourism New Zealand. I made the photos above on 14 July 2012. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins.com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-2hd.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
17 Responses to “New Zealand: Interislander Ferry across Cook Strait”
I love the photo of the crows nest (?) of the ship and the sky. Great composition. Love it.
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Thanks, Jen! I wanted to keep in the photos the grey somber mood of the cold wet winter day across the water, and I think I achieved that. What that also meant was that if anything stuck out or was illuminated, they really did stick out, and in a good way! Thanks again for commenting!
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It was a little pricey, but was functional transportation as well as a scenic cruise. I’ll have a post coming on my experience when I get that far along (I’m on day 11 and the ferry was on day 20, could be a while 🙂 )
Great photos, I love the composition of so many of them.
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Thanks, Erik! I paid $129 NZD for the ferry-and-rail combined trip from Wellington to Christchurch, which was a (web-)saver fare; I didn’t think that was particularly bad for the low- and winter-season, and I imagine prices (and demand) going up with temperature as conditions improve. I look forward to reading your upcoming NZD posts! Thanks again for reading and commenting!
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