Scenic Ferry Boat Ride to the South Island, New Zealand

After spending our first two weeks on the North Island of New Zealand, Bob and I were excited for the scenic ferry boat ride to the South Island.  Complicating our plans was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that had hit the South Island a few days prior to our arrival.  We didn’t know what to expect when we landed in Picton.

Affecting areas between Christchurch on the South Island north to Wellington on the North Island, the earthquake forced ferries to cancel, and some roads and tunnels were demolished.  Bob and I were scheduled to take a ferry from Wellington (the red dot on the right) to Picton (the red dot on the left), so we were quite concerned.

The drive from Hawke’s Bay to Wellington had us in awe on that windy, foggy, wet day.  Confined by steep slopes, the roadway required all available space for its sinuous route.  Rising vertically from the roadside, the mountains were evidence of the volcanic activity that had sculpted this place.

Tremors were being felt on the North Island so Bob and I had no intention of stopping to admire the beauty of the lush vegetation or the scenic views.  A small landslide on one stretch of the motorway and a building with windows blown out put the fear in us, so we just motored on through.

Once in Wellington, the weather changed significantly.  Sunny warm conditions encouraged Bob and me to make use of the afternoon to visit the Wellington Botanic Garden.

Plantings of native and non-native species kept us intrigued with their unusual shapes and colours.  This plant called Irish Rose was spectacular!

After riding a cable car up a steep incline, it surprised us to find that the gardens were in a sheltered depression far below the crest of the hilltop.

Meandering the trails at the Botanic Garden was a great distraction for Bob and me.  We had been contacted by the ferry service to say that our departure time had been bumped up by one hour because of damage to some of the structures during the previous week’s earthquake.

The next morning, Bob and I arrived ahead of schedule at the Kaiwharawhara Terminal in Wellington Harbour, in Māori referred to as Te Whanganui-a-Tara.  Our relief was palpable when we saw the Interislander Cook Strait Ferry boat moored and ready for passengers.

The Interislander Cook Strait Ferry is a road and rail ferry service with 3 roll-on roll-off vessels that greatly improves rail transport between the North and South Island.  Bob and I relaxed once we were onboard.

T he cloudless day was fraught with fierce winds.  Regardless, we stood on the deck of the ferry to take in the spectacular views.  Thank goodness for the warmth of the sun that helped stave off the chill.

The ferry ride covers a distance of approximately 95 kilometres and would dock in Picton within 3.5 hours or so after sailing from Wellington. About a third of the distance was across the open water of Cook Strait where our only company was seabirds soaring over the water.  Here is a Silver Gull, one of many species that we observed.

When we got within sight of Arapaoa Island, part of the South Island archipelago, a Bluebridge Ferry was seen leaving Tory Channel on its way from Picton to Wellington.  Arapaoa Island is at the northeast tip of the South Island and part of Marlborough Sounds.

It was from atop a hill on Arapaoa Island that Captain James Cook first saw the sea passage from the Pacific Ocean to the Tasman Sea in 1770.  He also discovered that New Zealand was composed of two main islands, confirming what the Māori had told him all along.

As the ferry approached Tory Channel, it had to be cautious of many dangerous rocks in the channel.  Taranaki Rock on the West Head side together with strong tidal streams that can force vessels onto the rocks make for a risky entrance.

More pronounced on the East Head side are these rocks with many more submerged out to sea and extending into Tory Channel.  As a result, ferry boats must be given the right of way when entering from Cook Strait.

Looking back at the entrance to Tory Channel, we could see how one early whaler thought that Tory Channel was a large river.  In fact, it is one of the ancient sunken river valleys that filled with water from the Pacific Ocean to form the Marlborough Sounds.

Tory Channel forms a significant part of the ferry route between Wellington and Picton.  It is the principal channel connecting Cook Strait to the Marlborough Sounds.

T he route from Wellington to Picton is rated as one of the most scenic ferry boat rides in the world.  As we cruised along Arapaoa Island, Bob and I began to see why.  Steep wooded hills rise abruptly from the sea along an intricate coastline of sheltered inlets and sandy bays.

The forested hills and small quiet bays of the Sounds are sparsely populated. Many of the small settlements and isolated houses are only accessible by boat.

Bob and I were revelling in the beautiful scenery and absorbing as much of the information about the area as we could.

A common sight as the ferry cruised along Tory Channel into Queen Charlotte Sound was that of king salmon farms.  This industry has operated in Marlborough Sounds for 25 years.

Signalling the last stretch of our journey was a long spit of land shaped like a long nose.  It’s name, The Snout, loosely translated from the Māori name, Te Ihumoeone-ihu, means snout of a bass.

Our first glimpse of Picton where it sits at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound revealed it to be a bustling port.  Throughout history, the town has also served as a gold mining town and a fishing port.

Picton is the main hub of New Zealand’s transportation network since it connects with the road and rail system on the South Island and receives the ferries from the North Island.  It had been a very scenic ferry boat ride to the South Island, but Bob and I could hardly wait to dock and get on the road!

Frame to Frame – Bob and Jean