Interislander Picton

First time experiencing a drive in cruise was an amazing experience. They have a cafe on board also which you can eat lunch depending on your cruise timing. But a good place to take some photos just after leaving the port and before you arrive Wellington when the sun is setting was an amazing sight to see. Take note that if your sea sick do remember to bring some medicine.

Ripples part for steel and spray, The Kaiarahi begins her way. A silver thread on liquid glass, She slices through the time that's passed. The South recedes, its mountains sigh, As seabirds wheel in a pewter sky. A whispered hope, a waking dream, Across the strait's vast, shifting stream. The ferry hums a steady beat, From Picton's port, so green and sweet. And with each churn, the journey's turn, A northern land, we're set to learn. Then, from the mist, a distant cone, A shape of silent, standing stone. A sacred watch, a verdant home, Where legends rise and rivers roam. Taranaki, cloaked in cloud, Calls out to the shifting crowd. The waters merge, the islands tie, Beneath the vast and endless sky. A metal heart, a floating stage, Turns a new and hopeful page. From island bound to island free, The Kaiarahi interislander sails the sea.

One of the best "mini cruise" get rides I've ever had. The views of the south island coast are amazing. Had super comfortable seats and the menu in the restaurant looked enticing and reasonably priced, although I did not try it.

I loved it. Yes, the typhoon in the waters off of Brisbane added some spice. Great experience, friendly crew, ok food. If you’re on a motorbike: bring tie downs. Fin.

A wonderful experience. Really efficient getting the cars loaded and unloaded. A brilliant journey through some really scenic spots. Only complaint is the limited amount of hot food available and that dinner items had also run out, food and drinks are also quite pricey.

We used the ferry to cross to wellington the check- in was efficient and boarding was very easy. We used the premium lounge which was very convenient and comfortable with good views of the Cook sound and a good selection of food and drinks

Give Anton (?photo of him?) on Kaitake a pay rise! He made the trip incredible! Made the time to make Miss 9 feel like she really was on a cruise ship!

If you have the opportunity to upgrade to the private lounge do it!! More space, much more comfortable and very generous all you can eat buffet with coffee, tea and juices.

Holy cow this ferry is huge. Largest one I've been on. But then it is a critical lifeline tying together North Island and South Island. It has to accommodate all manner of vehicles. I saw massive trucks with trailers (lorries) coming off, including a gargantuan mail truck. (There was even a dedicated rest area on deck 7 for truck drivers.) While the distance is not great, the ferry goes slowly, even on the open ocean. I imagine this is to protect wildlife. Then, coming to Picton through the Sound is tricky, and must be done with care. The cruise is family- and disability-friendly. Getting on board at Wellington, we had to take two escalators. However, elevators were nearby. Walkways are wide. With a little help at the doorway, you could even get outside at deck 7. There are elevators on the ship. At Picton, disembarking involves a bit of a walk and stairs, so you can request a shuttle ride. Their are kid play spaces on decks 1 and 7. There's also a cinema on deck 1 that plays family-friendly movies, I believe. (You have to buy tickets.) This thing has 10 decks! Decks 3 and 5 were for regular vehicles. Humans were mostly on decks 7 and 8. The cabins were on deck 9. You can rent these even during daytime passages. Deck 10 up top was closed because it was too windy. (Bummer.) The small gift shop on deck 8 was never open. There were several restaurants. I had a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and hash browns. Later I had a roast beef toastie. Prices were reasonable, like you'd find on land. Plenty of drink options (including alcohol) and various snacks. What was annoying was the people who ran to the seats with the views, then promptly fell asleep for the whole ride or looked at their phones, talked, etc. - anything but look at the view. Unless you need to sit there because of sea sickness, please leave these seats for those of us who really want to enjoy the view. The hand dryers in the bathrooms were useless. Be prepared to use your clothing to dry your hands. It was pretty cold during the crossing, but there was no heat (except in one small bathroom which was nice and warm). At times my internet access was spotty or non-existent. I never could get their free wifi to work, so I just had to wait on mine. There are a variety of chairs. There are some premium rooms that have food and don't allow kids that are available at an extra cost. You can also rent these rooms.

Such good views in and out of Picton and Wellington. It was an easy ride. Smooth. Try the scones. The staff are very pleasant.

Wellington Picton Ferry Well oiled machine... Well, oiled, .... Only for astute Problem Solvers Our month long DIY Tour of New Zealand involved fascinating planning and flexible execution. There are three reasons to visit New Zealand: Nature, Nature, and Nature... There are several options to taking the ferry to the South Island, and we considered and rejected all but ferry. We are not Ferry Newbies, and we enjoy the mystery, delays, delights, and sailings of ferries;we have used Washington State Ferries several times, Alaska Marine Highway System, Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry Cape May-Lewes Ferry, BC Ferries (Vancouver to Victoria,) Golden Gate Ferry (San Francisco to Sausalito,) Northumberland Ferries Limited, (Nova Scotia to Prince Edward Island.) To us there is both drama and romance in most ferries Our Picton crossing was schedule for a PM, but a large storm postponed crossing too early resulting in adding a motel and restaurant. Storm had settled in AM, but still lots of rain. Lots of problem solving involved. We boarded about 5:00AM. Is Bluebridge or Interislander better? It is very much a preference thing concerning the ferries and how their timetables fit in with the passenger. The Interislander has larger ferries and the option of upgrading onboard facilities to restricted lounges. The train to/from CHCH also meets the Interislander. The ferry from Wellington to Picton typically sails 6 times daily and up to 46 times weekly. 2 ferry operators provide ferries from Wellington to Picton, Bluebridge & Interislander. Wellington Picton Ferry timetables change seasonally, use our Deal Finder to get tickets, pricing, schedules and availability. The average sailing time of a ferry from Wellington to Picton is approximately 3h 33m The distance between Wellington and Picton is approximately 53.9 miles (86.8km), or 46.9 nautical miles. The city of Wellington is New Zealand's capital city and is located on the south west tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is the North Island's major population centre and is also the world's most southerly capital city. We had a fantastic sailing. The boarding was well organized, following the storm, and the vessel clean and tidy. I will use again. No worries here. Overall, a Great Adventure, and we are joyous for this experience.

On holiday, to explore the South Island, we flew into Wellington, took the Interislander across to Picton to begin our journey. Having never been on, let alone seen, a ferry before this was not what I was expecting. I expected some small, meager boat, like a shotty taxi ferry from our Baltimore waters-shuttling us across, get from point A to point B. The Interislander was a luxury ride- 3 and a half hours, offering several decks, with varying layouts, to enjoy the experience; including: two cafeterias (one more mall food court and the other more sit-down diner style), gift shop, movie theater (tickets at cost), a children play area, multiple lounges with a variety of seating options (booths, chairs, couches, etc), on deck outdoor viewing areas, inside viewing areas- it was a fantastic stroll wandering through the multiple areas, observing how people decided to enjoy and pass their time. They do allow bringing own meals on board-which we did, but from wandering around the menu options at the eateries looked absolutely delicious and everything was seemingly well-priced for the hearty looking plates and quality- though I can't speak specifically to taste-just observations. Ample outlets for charging and free wifi (slow because everyone is on it, but useable) Easy boarding and unloading- quick to obtain our checked bags- well done system between walk on and drive on passengers, though crowded we didn't feel cramped. A great experience.

The ferry is fine to go from Point A to Point B. However, if you want to buy the food there, it is very expensive. Also they sell tickets to watch a movie while riding the ferry. I took many different international ferries. Usually you can watch movies for free while riding the ferry.

First time user and first time in NZ used Interislander to Picton from Wellington had a very long delay which technical and about couple hours it was cancelled we had made arrangements and had booked the later ferry( 3:45 ) departure from Wellington at 3:45 and the 8:30 and the next with Blueridge we did not have time to get out and get ourself to the next ferry since then did not wait for any customer from the cancelled ferry ...we are tourist and had hotel reservation and ferry all advance ...we arrived to Picton about 12 midnight and not aware ways to go hotel ( since highway 1 ) was close due to crash , arriving to our hotel about 3am.... the back from south to north with advance reservation again they delay the ferry from 11am to 2pm had make make lot of adjustments to hotel reservation and other reservation due to this inconvenience ...the staff in Wellington were good and helpful but in general heard your services had break down quite frequently and that is not good ...

While touring New Zealand, we took the Interislander ferry from Wellington on the North Island to Picton on the South Island. We did this primarily as a means of transportation, but it ended up being quite enjoyable. As a means of transportation, they were very professional and quite efficient. You checked in at the dock like you would at the airport, including checking your luggage. Then you board the ferry. At that point, you find a seat and make yourself comfortable. Some people had cabins; Im not sure how you get one, but given the ride was only about 3 and a half hours, I didnt think it was necessary. The ferry ride was great. Leaving Wellington, a pod of dolphins started following the ship. Watching them leap up out of the water as they swam off our starboard stern was pretty cool. Toward the stern there was multilevel enclosed deck where you could enjoy the scenery without any regard for the weather. Although we went in the summer, it was a little chilly on the top deck, which was exposed to the elements, so we moved to a lounge area on a lower deck. Once we entered the waters off the South Island, we wound our way through the Marlborough Straits to Picton. It was quite scenic and very enjoyable. Our itinerary did not allow us time to tour the Marlborough Straits separately, but with the ferry ride, I was ok with that. When we arrived in Picton, we got off the ship and went to baggage claim to retrieve our luggage. As much as I liked the ferry, there were a few minor things I would change or do differently. First, on the deck where we hung out, we were in the aft lounge area. Shortly before we pulled into Picton, I learned that the forward lounge area had windows and a better cafeteria, which would have made it a superior place to enjoy our journey. Second, I was a bit confused by the cafeteria. They had some things on the menu, but didnt have them at that location or any means to make them. Again, this wouldn't have been an issue in the forward lounge. Also, there was a definite shortage of electrical outlets; we burned through most of the power on our phones during the voyage. Finally, maybe it's because we were there in February, but the ferry was crowded. If we had come down to the lounge much later, I dont think we would have been able to sit at a table (or anywhere except the floor, for that matter). Regardless, I enjoyed the ferry and would recommend it as a way of going between the North and South Islands.

The interislander is not bad, but there are a number of frustrating inadequacies. For one thing, while they had wifi, it barely worked, and in the terminals you couldn't get it at all without paying for something. They had food options (and it is a decent length trip), but those options were quite limited and I wouldn't be inclined to try my luck on anything more than fries. The vessels are fairly pragmatic in designs, and some of what might be the best viewing areas are closed off. It's crowded, and I would book well ahead, noting that they have a weird policy where you either get a non-refundable ticket or you pay a lot more for the privilege of changing times. My trip ran a half hour late. Worst of all, perhaps, was that the Wellington terminal was quite a bit outside of downtown Wellington, and even the shuttle they offer, which I had to wait quite a bit for, only takes you to a train station and not to anywhere more helpful. Most of these were eminently fixable problems, none of them quite deal-breakers for me. All that being said, the boat is a reasonably convenient way to travel between the islands, and the views are nice. It's much easier than trying to fly, and you can take a car if you want. The South Island voyage offers views of largely unsettled and very green fjords, which are very much part of the New Zealand experience.

The views apparently can be quite spectacular -- unfortunately it was pretty foggy the day I was on it. Otherwise, it's easy to buy tickets, and make your way on board. There are plenty of lavatories, and you can buy loads of snacks (albeit slightly overpriced). I just wish there'd been more seats available on board.

Excellent Excellent experience and service. Checking in, driving on and parking was easy. Because a ferry had been cancelled the ferry was extremely busy, we had booked the premium lounge and because of the extra people, our 4 seats were reserved in the lounge ensuring we could all sit together. Free drinks if wanted and lunch provided, comfortable seats. Friendly and helpful staff. Well worth the extra money also the lounge is restricted to over 18year olds which made it more comfortable! Also we had an easy change fare which we were able to change twice on the way back with no extra charge!

We rode the Ferry from Picton to Wellington. It was a beautiful day and the sea was flat. The view of both islands was spectacular. It was well worth the several hours it took to go from Picton to Wellington. It was a great trip. We traveled in Mar 2017

This was our first time at using the Interislander to make the crossing from Picton to Wellington. After arriving by train, it a short walk across to the port to board. Once aboard there are several decks to relax and let the ferry take the strain whilst you enjoy the scenery for the next three hours. It has a play area for the children, and the usual facilities for a roll on roll off ferry. The food was OK and served it's purpose. Being greeted by several dolphins as we neared Wellington was the highlight of the trip for me and lots of other passengers.