New Zealand - Picton to Wellington via ferry

This was the day we took the Interislander ferry across Cook Strait to the North Island.  Our first trick was to find the car rental drop place.  We were told booth 8 but we never found it.  We did find an office for the car rental agency.  We walked across the street and into the Interislander terminal. Their website says to get there 45 minutes before departure so we were there at that time.  We were the first people to arrive so we definitely could have gotten there later. 

Didymo, never heard of it so I went to Wikipedia.  Here's what they had to say, "In 2004 Didymosphenia geminata, a diatom commonly known as didymo or rock snot,[1] was discovered in New Zealand, the first time it was found in the Southern Hemisphere. To restrict its spread, the whole of the South Island of New Zealand was declared a controlled area in December 2005. All items, such as boats, fishing gear, clothing, and vehicles, that have been in a stream, river or lake, must be cleaned before they enter another waterway. Didymo can have a notable impact on the insects that are a food source for many species of fish. It can form massive algal blooms.  It makes riverbeds slippery posing a danger to waders and swimmers.  Didymo blooms also pose a hazard for: hydroelectric power generation, irrigation and recreational water usage. Didymo clogs domestic drinking water filters." Oh my, not good stuff.  Love the alternate nickname of Rock Snot.   

The people that had given up the honeymoon suite at the hotel had to leave the previous night because their ferry this day was cancelled.  I think I heard that the Aratere, the ship we were on, was the only one making the crossing this day.  In other words, we were in for a rough ride.  As my hubby would say, "Yippee Skippy".

 

I had a look around the terminal as we waited to board.  Mainly to warm up.  I don't think they were heating the building and it was in the 50's.  

This is where we entered the boarding ramp to the ship.  It was roped off when we got there. 

When we were finally able to walk down the boarding ramp, I was finally able to see some of the ship.  You can see the boarding ramp in this photo as it runs along the side of the ship.

The final 10 or 20' of the boarding ramp retracts inland so it can be adjusted for different distances. 

Main seating area as we board the ship.

Lots of empty comfortable seats.  I don't even know if the ship was 20% full.

We were headed to the Plus Lounge so we just followed the signs. 

After passing through a gate, we entered the Plus Lounge, walked past the bathrooms on one side and a food service area on the other. 

I can't remember how many seats there were in this area but there were only 8 passengers there.  This area was also freezing cold.  So much for a comfortable ride.  They did supply plenty of blankets and pillows. 

Model of an Interislander ferry.

Looking at the ferry from the top. 

I think this was a private deck area for the Plus Lounge passengers.  It was stripped of furniture.  Who would want to sit out there in the cold?

I did go out on the side deck to get some clearer photos of Queen Charlotte Sound as we left Picton. 

Wikipedia tells me that, "The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. The Marlborough Sounds were created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels.[1] According to Māori mythology, the sounds are the prows of the many sunken waka of Aoraki.[2]"  Queen Charlotte Sound is part of the Marlborough Sounds.

We weren't on the ship long before they came around with meat and cheese trays.  We ate most of this as it was part of our breakfast. 

Seems like we had barely picked up the meat and cheese tray before they came around with a tray full of sandwiches, sushi and sweets.

Time for another walk around outside. 

We had finally entered Cook Strait proper when they announced lunch.  I wasn't hungry after all the previous food.  Notice how the plates are secured in the hole with springs 

Our hot food choices were Chili Con Carne, Pork Belly, Potato Rosti (hash browns with onions), Basmati Rice and Thai Vegetable Curry.  None of which really interested me so I was glad I was already full.. 

Cold food items included Baby Beetroot Salad, Coleslaw Salad, and Green Salad with side dishes of cheese and what looked like sour cream.  

The end station had a variety of beverage choices including, ice water, soda and orange juice.  Might have even been some beer in there.  The top left cabinet is a freezer of ice cream.  Vanilla only

I had already been hitting the coffee station earlier since I needed it to warm up. 

Ice cream and pop.  Not exactly a good way to keep warm. 

Leaving the South Island behind and entering Cook Strait. 

Battling the swells. 

Approaching the North Island. On a normal day, the ferry takes about 3 1/2 hours to make the crossing.  I think it took us closer to four. 

It takes the ferry almost an hour to sail from the narrow entrance of Welling Harbor to the dock.  

Right by the entrance to the Plus Lounge, I found a map of the crossing on the wall. 

One thing interesting to note is that, even though we are going from the South Island to the North Island, we actually traveled east.  The cities are at essentially the same latitude.  The Narrows Basin is the deepest feature at the narrowest part of the strait, with depths of up to 200 fathoms (350 meters). 

Marlborough Sounds

Click to enlarge for reading.

Approaching the dock. 

We were told our luggage would be onshore.  It took a little looking but we found it.  Then we had to find the shuttle to the railway station.  Once there we had to search for the bus to the airport so we could collect a new rental car.  We could have taken a taxi, but we're cheap. 

We followed the signs for the rental cars but didn't see the agency we were renting from. Some of the rental agencies had booths where the cars were parked.  We found out the agency we were using was inside the airport.  This rental is a Mitsubishi ASX.  The largest car we had rented but it is still considered a compact SUV.  This one had room for both of our suitcases in the hatch storage area. 

Eventually we made it to our hotel.  We barely had time to get settled and it was time for dinner.  We selected a nearby place and walked to it.  Then we went to the grocery store across the street from the hotel. 

Wellington has some very unique pedestrian crossing signals.  The ones we saw are the Kapa Haka signals.  Kapa Haka are Maori songs and dances.  Not being rugby fans, we had never heard of the Haka.  I guess it is often performed by a New Zealand Rugby Team. 

Wellington has other unique signals.  Read all about them at this website