Wellington to Picton on the Blueridge Ferry
Christmas Eve 2019 was the first time I had been to Wellington and the South Island for nearly 40 years. I was on my way to stay with a fabulous friend of mine in Nelson. We used to work as freelance patternmakers in fashion in Sydney. She has since escaped the scene and is now happily ensconced in Nelson, and I am in the transition process myself, so we had loads to chat about!
There are two ferry companies that service Cook Strait—the Interislander and Blueridge, with whom I travelled. Luckily I booked into the Hotel Waterloo, a nice, clean budget place which is only a 5-minute walk from the ferry terminal. I had flown in from Sydney in the early hours and only got to bed at 1:30am after stressing about how to set the alarm on my phone after changing the sim card. I ended up making it just in time!
Arrive Early and Bring Dramamine!
Everyone had to be down at the ferry by 7am for the 8am departure. I was the last person to board at 7:45am. Consequently, it was absolutely packed and I struggled with my bags and carrying my breakfast tray trying to find somewhere to sit and eat. So a warning—if you decide to take the ferry, arrive at the terminal early to get the best seating.
It was very cool, windy and cloudy when we left Wellington, and for at least the first 1.5 hours of a 3.5-hour journey, it was a bit rocky. I was a touch concerned because I had been on a Picton-to-Wellington trip in my 20s which was excessively rough and scary. My friend and I decided to drink our way across the strait and forget the weather, which meant we weren’t in a good condition when we arrived in Wellington, but at least we didn’t notice the waves as much. We were young and very silly!
The Cook Strait
The Cook Strait is one of the most treacherous strips of water in the world and has been the scene of quite a few devastating shipwrecks with many lives lost. I was a young girl in 1968 when the shocking Wahine disaster happened during a violent storm. So far this piece of writing does not present as a good reason to cross the Cook Strait by ferry, but it is about to get much better!
Sunshine and the Colour Blue: Arriving in Picton Harbour
I had been dozing for a little while, and when I woke up, the sky was blue and the most amazing scenery was spreading out in front of us. As we sailed through the majestic Marlborough Sounds towards Picton, everything was blue and green, the sea was glistening and it was so quiet.
Taking the Ferry Is Always an Adventure
We had a slight hiccup as we entered Picton Harbour. The winds came up and the ferry had to turn around and attempt another docking, which held us up for another hour. The weather is very changeable in the Cook Strait, so you have to keep this in mind if you have travel connections that are tight.
When I went back to Wellington, I flew from Nelson and it was only a half-hour flight, but I highly recommend crossing the Cook Strait by ferry (and preferably in summer!). You can also book a cabin and sleep on the ferry, but you would miss out on a wondrous piece of nature.
This article first appeared on Wander Wisdom.
