Today we left the North Island of New Zealand and took the ferry to the South Island to Picton on time at 1.30 p.m.
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The strait between the North and South Island
The North Island and the South Island of New Zealand are separated by a strait called the Cook Strait (see Google Maps). It is 22 km wide at its narrowest point and connects the Tasman Sea (in the west of New Zealand) with the Pacific Ocean (in the east). The Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet here with their waves and winds. This is why the Cook Strait is one of the most stormy sea routes in the world.
By Bluebridge ferry from Wellington to Picton
To get from the North Island to the South Island (with or without a car), there are two different providers: Interislander and Bluebridge. We chose Bluebridge because the price for our day (NZD 53 per person) was slightly cheaper than that of Interislander. The ticket should be booked in time to ensure that you can get a seat on the desired day and time. Especially if you want to take your car (or motorhome) from the North To the South Islands (or vice versa), it is strongly recommended to book a few weeks in advance.
The journey through the Queen Charlotte Sound
The ferry takes about 3.5 hours for the 90 km long route from Wellington to Picton. The crossing offers beautiful views in many places. In the bay in front of Wellington you had a great view of the city. And while driving through the Queen Charlotte Sound, the ship sails through a fjord-like landscape.
Our car rental for the South Island of New Zealand
Around 5 p.m. we arrived at the port in Picton and were taken by bus to our car rental company Europcar. Here we got our small SUV for the trip over the South Island of Neuseland (see travel report car rental for New Zealand).
Our Picton Hotel
Afterwards we went to our accommodation Park Regis (now Picton Yacht Club Hotel ) and bought something to eat and drink in a small supermarket. We spent a night here. The room was generously furnished (sofa, desk, small kitchen, balcony) and clean. You can see that it is a bit older, but our room was not “used to it”, as some have written here. Wi-Fi is free for 30 minutes per day per device in the lobby. For us, that was enough. Free parking is available on site. The area is very quiet, no noise. A supermarket is a 5-minute walk away.
Alle Reiseberichte aus Neuseeland
11 Tage lang haben wir Neuseeland von Norden nach Süden mit dem Mietwagen auf eigene Faust erkundet. Angefangen hat unsere Reise auf der Nordinsel in der Stadt Auckland, wir haben die gewaltigen Kräfte unter der Erde in Wai-O-Tapu und Orakei Korako erlebt, wir haben die Hauptstadt Wellington erkundet, sind über die Neuseeländischen Alpen gefahren, haben eine Gletscherwanderung auf dem Fox Gletscher gemacht, bevor wir zum Abschluss eine Fahrt durch das UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe Milford Sound erlebt haben. Neuseeland ist ein wirklich schönes Land, dass uns unglaublich gut gefallen hat.» Nordinsel: Waitomo - Eine Tour durch die Glühwürmchenhöhle
» Nordinsel: Die Stadt Rotorua & die Geothermalregion Wai-O-Tapu
» Nordinsel: Die Geothermalregion Orakei Korako
» Nordinsel: Das Tongariro Alpine Crossing & die Stadt Wellington
» Nordinsel / Südinsel: Picton - Mit der Fähre von der Nordinsel auf die Südinsel
» Südinsel: Der Abel Tasman Nationalpark - Bootstour & Wanderung
» Südinsel: Die Pancake Rocks & die Seelöwen am Cape Foulwind
» Südinsel: Der Franz-Josef-Gletscher im Westland-Nationalpark
» Südinsel: Der Fox-Gletscher - Mit dem Helikopter zur Eiswanderung
» Südinsel: Neuseeländische Alpen - Franz-Josef bis Milford Sound
» Südinsel: Milford Sound - Eine Bootsfahrt durch den Fjord
» Südinsel: Die Road to Milford Sound & die Stadt Queenstown