Regular Cook Strait ferries provide vehicle and passenger access between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island.

The two primary ferry companies are Interislander and Bluebridge, both of which offer a spectacularly scenic journey across the waters which connect the two islands. You'll get to kick back and relax, enjoying on-board entertainment, and delicious food and beverages, whilst you cruise through the stunning inlets of the Marlborough Sounds toward Picton.

Interislander is the longest running ferry service in New Zealand and has been linking passengers across the Cook Strait for well over 50 years. With up to 10 sailings a day, and a supersized peak timetable running over the Christmas and New Year period, it is an easy, comfortable and quick way to get from North to South. 

Bluebridge crosses the Strait seven times per day from Sunday through Friday, and five times on a Saturday, and has been delivering precious human cargo between Wellington and Picton since 1992. 

Many passengers choose to take their vehicles on-board, making it easy to get to their desired destination once docking in Picton after the approximate 3 to 3.5 hour ferry journey. If you don’t have a vehicle of your own, there are also regular coach services that connect Nelson Tasman with the inter-island ferry services at Picton, so you can sit back and relax whilst enjoying the scenic journey around the coast.

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