Interislander Ferry From Wellington To Picton (Interislander Vs Bluebridge)

This is our experience taking the Interislander and Bluebridge ferry from Wellington to Picton and vice versa. Interislander or Bluebridge, which one to choose?

Actually:

To cross from North Island to South Island (or vice versa) of New Zealand, there are only 2 ferry operators, Bluebridge or Interislander.

The 92km crossing over Cook Strait takes around 3 hours.

This is what you should know before you book your ferry!

Table of Contents

• Bluebridge ferry
• Interislander ferry
• Timetable for Bluebridge & Interislander
• Bluebridge vs Interislander – which one should you choose?
• How to get a cheap ferry ticket to Wellington to Picton (or vice versa)
• Wellington ferry terminal
• Picton ferry terminal
• Interislander experience (Wellington to Picton)
• Bluebridge experience (Picton to Wellington)
• Alternative to taking the ferry
• Conclusion

Bluebridge Ferry

Since 2002, Bluebridge Ferry has been carrying passengers between both the North and South island of New Zealand.

So are their ships really old?

Not at all – Bluebridge has swapped out the ships in their fleet a total of 7 times between 2002 and 2010.

Technically, the newest vessel in their fleet is the MV Straitsman with a capacity of up to 400 passengers, 40 trucks and 150 cars.

MV Straitsman has many built-in features that are designed to minimize wasted energy. Like using heat from the energy to warm the ship during winter.

Or special paint that reduces water resistance on the ship! (i.e. saving more energy!)

As for the interior, everything is modern and comfortable:

There is a cafe on-board, toilets, private cabins, a children’s play area, a viewing lounge, etc.

Interislander Ferry

Interislander officially started its ferry passenger service in 1962.

Today, they have 3 ships in their fleet – Kaitaki, Aratere and Kaiarahi.

Only Kaitaki has cabins on-board for those who wish to make the crossing during the night.

There used to be a faster (1 hour less) catamaran service back in 1994 but it was cancelled in 2005 due to the high financial costs and environmental concerns.

So now, passengers are encouraged to make the most of the 3 hour journey and enjoy the views during the day crossings.

The Interislander ferry is such a notable brand in New Zealand that they even have their own card in the New Zealand version of the world famous Monopoly game!

Timetable for Bluebridge & Interislander

Wellington to Picton

From Wellington, Interislander typically has the same timings for its 5 crossings everyday.

Except on Mondays and Sundays. Take note of the timings too!

And Bluebridge offers up to 4 crossings on weekdays and only 1 or 2 crossings on Saturdays.

Key: Interislander = Red; Bluebridge = Blue

Picton to Wellington

Bluebridge vs Interislander – which one should you choose?

If timing is not an issue for you, then you can consider the price:

We went with Interislander ferry because it was cheaper when travelling from the north to south island of New Zealand.

But when we returned to the north island, we chose Bluebridge instead.

Because Interislander didn’t have any more slots on our chosen date.

However, to be fair, there aren’t any big differences between the two:

How to get a cheap ferry ticket to Wellington to Picton (or vice versa)

General tips

• There are different times available for both ferry services. Generally, the earlier times are slightly cheaper.
• The bigger your vehicle, the higher the price. They have different categories too.
• Book way ahead if you can. Especially if you are going in the summer or ski season!
• Booking online may result in a discount but you won’t be able to change your travel date!
• Join a group on Facebook – some lovely person might share a promo code there!
• Your chosen car rental company or bus service may offer discounts! Ask and see.

Discounts & Deals for Interislander & Bluebridge

Besides everything that’s listed in the table below:

For Interislander, there’s also discount if you buy the tickets to explore Malborough Sounds too!

I think it was 10% but please check this out at an i-Site (e.g. near Havelock) in the South Island before you buy your ferry ticket!

Wellington ferry terminal

Interislander passenger terminal: Aotea Quay, Pipitea, Wellington.

Interislander vehicle terminal: Wellington Vehicle Check-In, Aotea Quay, Pipitea, Wellington.

Bluebridge passenger & vehicle terminal: 50 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea, Wellington (opposite Wellington Railway Station)

Picton ferry terminal

Interislander passenger terminal: 1 Auckland Street, Picton

Interislander vehicle terminal: Interislander Picton Vehicle Check-In, 3 Auckland Street, Picton

Bluebridge passenger & vehicle terminal: 1 Lagoon Rd, Picton.

Interislander Experience (Wellington to Picton)

It cost us $219 for two of us, together with our Toyota Estima. The one-way journey from Wellington to Picton takes around 3 hours.

Please note – prices vary according to what kind of vehicle you have:

Our converted camper car (Toyota Estima 2002) classified as either a SUV or van.

Find out how we got our secondhand camper car and how you can start your own van life in New Zealand.

How do you know what your camper car classifies as?

Both Bluebridge and Interislander do not consider the contents of the car when classifying whether your vehicle is a camper car or not.

It is the external modifications that may impact the overall size of the car (e.g. extended roof).

The check in procedure for the Interislander ferry

Be punctual.

We got to the departure terminal at 7.48am. The gate closes at 8am.

Check in:

The gate attendant will scan your ticket/booking from your phone and give you two slips of paper. One is for your dashboard display and the other is to give to another attendant right before boarding the ship.

There was already a long queue of cars, motorhomes and trucks ahead of us. The trucks boarded first. We drove straight onto the ship around 8.30am. We parked in the lower deck (more of a basement, actually).

What to bring on-board the ferry?

You are only allowed to bring one bag each per person (e.g. think carry-on size).

Take your food if you need to. Don’t forget any device you want to charge and also your medicine. If you plan to go on deck, bring gloves and a windproof jacket. As we’re sailing now, the sea is really calm and there’s little wind. But you never know.

Facilities on the Interislander ferry

On the higher decks, there are lounges where you can get a hot cup of coffee for $4 or $5. You can bring your own food if you want. But the food prices at the lounge are not as crazily overpriced as we expected.

They even serve alcohol too.

You can get the menu from the Interislander website. Mind that it depends which ship you are on. They have 3 – Arahura, Aratere and Kaitaki (up to 1600 passengers) .

The ship we took could take 550 passengers so try and get a table before the rest of the passengers come up to the lounge.

Power-hungry?

There are electrical sockets from which to charge your devices (the seats facing the big windows overlooking the rear of the ship).

The wifi is also limited to 100Mb per person. Guess that’s enough to post a pic on Instagram and maybe message a couple of people.

How stable is the Interislander ferry?

Prone to sea-sickness?

The ride is pretty smooth since this is a large ship. But we went on a sunny day with little wind.

Not sure how it would manage in stormy conditions though so you might want to pack your motion-sickness medication just in case. The motion is more noticeable up on deck.

Oh wait, I’m feeling something now as we exit the bay. I soooo dislike ferry rides. >.<

The only thing that might drive me up deck later is the prospect of seeing dolphins. We didn’t see any but maybe you’ll be lucky!

Arrival in Picton

Wait for the crew to call for passengers with cars to head back down. Don’t forget your belongings! Do not start your engines until they say you can.

Again, there will be a queue to go out but it moves fairly quick so you’ll find yourself in Picton town soon enough.

We didn’t stay in Picton too long. Made a quick stop in the next town, Blenheim to pick up some groceries before continuing the rest of our 1 month self-drive road trip in New Zealand.

Bluebridge Experience (Picton to Wellington)

Facilities and check in process are very similar to Interislander’s.

But here are a couple of differences we found:

1. There’s a very convenient toilet block that you can use while you are in the check-in queue at the Picton terminal
2. We could both feel the motion of the waves while we were on the Bluebridge ferry. Normally, it’s just me that’s affected.

I still wouldn’t recommend one ferry over the other. Both were very comfortable and convenient.

Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the shuttle service or overnight journeys for either of them.

Just go for price or timing if you can’t choose one.

Alternative to taking the ferry

If you haven’t got a car and you want to save time:

Consider taking a flight instead. It’s usually $200 NZD per person and 30 minutes duration.

That way, you can get separate car rentals on both islands. Try out different car rental companies or stick to the same one. Your choice.

Conclusion

Taking the ferry between the North Island and South Island of New Zealand is a straightforward and fuss-free process.

Just be sure to book ahead to get the date you want. And ensure that you check in on time.

This is also a great way to see Marlborough Sounds.

So, Interislander or Bluebridge?

If sailing’s not your, thing you can always take a flight instead.

Would you rather take a flight or ferry to cross over to the North or South Island of New Zealand? Leave a comment below.

Else, pin this post!