Cook Strait Ferry
Encyclopedia
Cook Strait Ferry collectively refers to the ferry
services plying between the North Island
and South Island
of New Zealand
. Currently, there are two companies, Bluebridge
and Interislander
, sailing several times daily from Wellington
, North Island, to Picton
, the crossing taking about three hours. Roughly half the crossing is in the open sea, Cook Strait
, and the remainder in the Marlborough Sounds
.
Because of the stormy nature of the Cook Strait, sailings are often disrupted. However, the ferry is a vital link between the two islands.
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
services plying between the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
and South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Currently, there are two companies, Bluebridge
Bluebridge
Bluebridge is a New Zealand ferry operation between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island.-History:Bluebridge was formed in 2003 by Strait Shipping to compete with the Interislander...
and Interislander
Interislander
The Interislander is a road and rail ferry service across New Zealand's Cook Strait, owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail.The Interislander travels between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island, forming a road and rail link between New Zealand's two main...
, sailing several times daily from Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, North Island, to Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
, the crossing taking about three hours. Roughly half the crossing is in the open sea, Cook Strait
Cook Strait
Cook Strait is the strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....
, and the remainder in the Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys created by a combination of land subsidence and rising sea levels at the north of the South Island of New Zealand...
.
Because of the stormy nature of the Cook Strait, sailings are often disrupted. However, the ferry is a vital link between the two islands.