Interislander ferry crossing - Wellington to Picton NZ

Some scenes and details about our Interislander ferry crossing that we took from Wellington (North Island) to Picton (South Island) New Zealand, across Cook Strait and through the Marlborough Sounds.

Details about the trip:
- The distance travelled on the water was 92 kms
- It takes about 3 hours
- There are multiple ferry crossings every day
- I would recommend early bookings as they seem to sell out or tickets at certain times
- Interislander ferries include: Arahura, Aratere and Kaitaki
- The ferries can accommodate passengers and vehicles (including cars and trucks)
- Ferry services include - canteen, Wi-Fi internet connection, Cinema - if you pay extra
- We took a large pram (for a toddler) on board the ferry, and found it very manageable. We could not get the pram out on to the outer deck, but otherwise access was totally ok (they had ramps, lifts, etc.). Just remember to put your brake on the pram, or it might roll away with the movement of the ferry.
- There was a kid's (children's) play area
- There was a tourist shop for people wanting to remember cruising on the Interislander
- Arrangements can be made to transport pets
- There was even a parents' feeding room with some cots in it - if you needed to put your baby down for a sleep or for privacy during the cruise
- I have heard recently that on one of the ferries, you can even rent a room to sleep in for the trip
- The waves can get choppy, and at times the seas can be rough (but I have never gotten seriously sea sick going on the trip)
- There are luggage limits, and you can check in bags
- Some rental car companies (e.g. Hertz) don't let you take your can from one island to the other. You will have to return it to the hire car company at the terminal, and then pick up another one when you arrive at the other end of the journey. This will probably actually save you $$, but will just take a little time to hand in/pick up the new car.
- The trip can be quite pretty especially if it is good weather. The passage through the sounds is best experienced out on the deck and involved some beautiful scenery as you pass by. I would recommend this especially if you are feeling sea sick.

The above info is only from my experience/memory of the trip, and is intended to be a helpful guide only, and may now be inaccurate. For exact details and bookings visit the New Zealand Interislander website (as the above details may change) -
http://www.interislander.co.nz/

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[Ilkamy]

A very nice sightseeing! :-)

Thanks for sharing. Regards from Europe.