BLOG POST 24
We were about to finish our tour in north Islands and go to south islands, though there was an option of flight our tour included a ferry journey from Wellington to Picton and it indeed turned out to be memorable.
There are two main ferry companies: Inter islander and Bluebridge,Up to 5 ferries usually start from 2.30am to 8.00pm.We were going to travel by the inter islander ferry Kaitaki
We were instructed by Tony that our bags had to be kept out earlier that day as they had to be sent to the ferry before us
So after a hearty breakfast we said goodbye to our hotel and went in the bus to the ferry terminal located on Aotea Quay. Wellington harbour was used to be called Port Nicholson,. Cook Strait lies between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast, and runs next to the capital city, Wellington. It is 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, and is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world.
The strait in Maori has the name of "bitter leaves" and is named after James Cook,the intrepid explorer who discovered in 1770 that contrary to popular belief at the time New Zealand is made up of two major land masses. The inter-island ferry connects the North Island and South Island of New Zealand travelling from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, to Picton, a picturesque harbour town located at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound and known as the gateway to the magnificent Marlborough Sounds and the South Island of New Zealand
After a half an hour wait at the terminal which we spent picking up some material on south island ,we were checked in for the ferry ,as we had only hand luggage we could sail through easily and we saw our ferry the famous Kaitaki meaning "challenger" It has a capacity of 1350 passengers and is the largest ferry operating in New Zealand ,it has 132 passenger berths, can hold 600 cars and crew are 60 in number
We entered the ferry in no time, though there were elevators ,most of us used the stairs and were led to a private lounge which was booked for our group, we settled down there for a few minutes initially with our hand luggage stowed safely and went to top deck to see the starting of the ferry from Wellington .
The ferry started and the scenic ferry journey offered many highlights en route and was richly supplied with local legends and myths. From Wellington, the ferry slowly made its way through the harbor offering us panoramic views of its dramatic city scape set on high hills which plunged steeply into the sea. It was very windy reminding us that we were bidding farewell to windy wellington.
Suddenly I recollected our crossing the English Channel which is a part of the Atlantic Ocean, separating the island of Britain (part of the UK) from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean from Dover 2003,entire bus was taken in the ferry I still remember the rough sea that day ,about 15 years back, the English channel today is one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet. It's approximately 350 miles long, and at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover.
Our ferry passed past Ward Island in Wellington Harbour, which according to Maori legend is one of the daughters of the great Polynesian explorer Kupe, and then past Somes Island, which was used as a detention centre during WWII and around the point to Oterangi Bay, the North Island terminal of the Cook Strait power cable and the place where in April 1968 a land wind speed of 268 km/h was recorded, then out into Cook Strait.
Two lighthouses at Pencarrow Head mark the entrance to Wellington Harbour. The upper lighthouse was constructed in 1859 and was New Zealand's first permanent lighthouse. Although it was a great achievement, the early European settlers hadn't appreciated how the low sea mists and fogs would render it useless. It was eventually replaced in 1906 by the lower lighthouse, which is still in use.
After we appreciated the land scape for some time we went on a tour of the ferry,it was more like a multi storied hotel than a ferry
With two restaurants, a sports bar, shop, several lounges and a deck dedicated to children, Kaitaki was designed to entertain. With excellent food, comfortable seats, stunning views and a relaxing environment, the Ocean View eatery was a great place to settle down and enjoy the entire journey!
For someone who likes to sit back and relax with a delicious local beer or wine, the Local Heroes bar towards the rear of Deck 8 was the place of choice. For entertainment, the Local Heroes bar had Sky Sports on TV and live bands playing on stage!
Hector's café a modern, elegant café modelled on the classic Kiwi café-bar style. was located on Deck 7 towards the front of the ship. We had a delicious slice of cake and a strong cup of strong coffee,
Deck 2 was meant for kids aged 0 to 10 years. Down there we found a huge soft play climbing frame, baby play area and two cinemas. There was a café on a mezzanine level overlooking the play area for adults to sit and relax with an eye on their kids
Kaitaki had several large outdoor viewing areas around Deck 7 and an outdoor seating area on Deck 10. These areas were perfect for soaking up the spectacular views of the sounds
We came to know that our Inter islander ferry trip was famous as one of the most beautiful ferry cruises in the world. The Cook Strait ferry covers 92 kilometres (58 miles) and the journey across the Cook Strait averages 3 to 3.5 hours depending on the weather conditions
Then our ferry started cruising through the majestic Marlborough Sounds, a series of sunken sea-filled valleys that feature many bush clad islands, hidden inlets and bays, clear blue water and native forests growing down to the waterline .
We had lovely glimpses of small wooden homes, jetties and boat sheds owned by locals, many of whom seem to be commuting via the water which was blue
We met very helpful and friendly staff on and off board the ferry. The interior of the ferry was very comfortable with different sitting areas with big windows to take in the stunning views of the Marlborough sounds and the Cook strait.
There was a lot of space to walk around so that one doesn’t get claustrophobic .There was no dearth of activities on the ferry including a movie theatre, face painting, arcade games, food/drinks, etc.
Access to vehicle decks was not permitted during the crossing, Dogs could be left in large cages on the vehicle deck.
With the hills of Marlborough surrounding us and the sheltered waters calm and placid, sailing through the Marlborough Sounds felt to us more like cruising along a large river than a sea deceptively so calm
The ferry was being operated with great dexterity as some of the inlets and outlets were quite narrow.
We were offered fantastic views of the South Island’s Kaikoura Range and there were frequent opportunities to spot dolphins and plenty of sea birds.
Other animals one might spot include seals, penguins and albatross. Over twenty species of whales have also been spotted around cook’s strait and around 300 humpbacks migrate through the Cook Strait during winter. On a reasonably calm sailing one can see also see a visible line where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet
It is said that a bit of rough weather adds to drama of this untamed inter-island passage. There are no roads or homes within kilometres of the northern coastline and the hills are as wild and rugged as they were when Captain Cook first sailed through as did the Polynesians long before him and it is difficult how they did in small primitive ships and canoes
The coniferous green slopes with lovely colorful flowers seen on the sound, encountering other ships ,the ferry and its comforts together made our journey very memorable. The trip across the Cook Straits was surely one of our best experiences in New Zealand's ,the coastal scenery is breathtaking and the transition from bustling and dramatically situated Wellington to the serene beauty of Picton was stunning
During the course of our ferry journey I came across a board mentioning our country which filled me immense pleasure and pride
We were about to finish our tour in north Islands and go to south islands, though there was an option of flight our tour included a ferry journey from Wellington to Picton and it indeed turned out to be memorable.
There are two main ferry companies: Inter islander and Bluebridge,Up to 5 ferries usually start from 2.30am to 8.00pm.We were going to travel by the inter islander ferry Kaitaki
We were instructed by Tony that our bags had to be kept out earlier that day as they had to be sent to the ferry before us
The strait in Maori has the name of "bitter leaves" and is named after James Cook,the intrepid explorer who discovered in 1770 that contrary to popular belief at the time New Zealand is made up of two major land masses. The inter-island ferry connects the North Island and South Island of New Zealand travelling from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, to Picton, a picturesque harbour town located at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound and known as the gateway to the magnificent Marlborough Sounds and the South Island of New Zealand
Suddenly I recollected our crossing the English Channel which is a part of the Atlantic Ocean, separating the island of Britain (part of the UK) from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean from Dover 2003,entire bus was taken in the ferry I still remember the rough sea that day ,about 15 years back, the English channel today is one of the busiest shipping lanes on the planet. It's approximately 350 miles long, and at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover.
Our ferry passed past Ward Island in Wellington Harbour, which according to Maori legend is one of the daughters of the great Polynesian explorer Kupe, and then past Somes Island, which was used as a detention centre during WWII and around the point to Oterangi Bay, the North Island terminal of the Cook Strait power cable and the place where in April 1968 a land wind speed of 268 km/h was recorded, then out into Cook Strait.
After we appreciated the land scape for some time we went on a tour of the ferry,it was more like a multi storied hotel than a ferry
With two restaurants, a sports bar, shop, several lounges and a deck dedicated to children, Kaitaki was designed to entertain. With excellent food, comfortable seats, stunning views and a relaxing environment, the Ocean View eatery was a great place to settle down and enjoy the entire journey!
For someone who likes to sit back and relax with a delicious local beer or wine, the Local Heroes bar towards the rear of Deck 8 was the place of choice. For entertainment, the Local Heroes bar had Sky Sports on TV and live bands playing on stage!
Deck 2 was meant for kids aged 0 to 10 years. Down there we found a huge soft play climbing frame, baby play area and two cinemas. There was a café on a mezzanine level overlooking the play area for adults to sit and relax with an eye on their kids
Kaitaki had several large outdoor viewing areas around Deck 7 and an outdoor seating area on Deck 10. These areas were perfect for soaking up the spectacular views of the sounds
We had lovely glimpses of small wooden homes, jetties and boat sheds owned by locals, many of whom seem to be commuting via the water which was blue
We met very helpful and friendly staff on and off board the ferry. The interior of the ferry was very comfortable with different sitting areas with big windows to take in the stunning views of the Marlborough sounds and the Cook strait.
There was a lot of space to walk around so that one doesn’t get claustrophobic .There was no dearth of activities on the ferry including a movie theatre, face painting, arcade games, food/drinks, etc.
Access to vehicle decks was not permitted during the crossing, Dogs could be left in large cages on the vehicle deck.
The ferry was being operated with great dexterity as some of the inlets and outlets were quite narrow.
We were offered fantastic views of the South Island’s Kaikoura Range and there were frequent opportunities to spot dolphins and plenty of sea birds.
Other animals one might spot include seals, penguins and albatross. Over twenty species of whales have also been spotted around cook’s strait and around 300 humpbacks migrate through the Cook Strait during winter. On a reasonably calm sailing one can see also see a visible line where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet
It is said that a bit of rough weather adds to drama of this untamed inter-island passage. There are no roads or homes within kilometres of the northern coastline and the hills are as wild and rugged as they were when Captain Cook first sailed through as did the Polynesians long before him and it is difficult how they did in small primitive ships and canoes
During the course of our ferry journey I came across a board mentioning our country which filled me immense pleasure and pride
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ReplyDeletethe pic has been removed ,thank you
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