Can you ferry between New Zealand islands?

Ferry travel between the North Island and the South Island. New Zealand's most famous and beautiful ferry route is between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island. The journey between the two islands is commonly referred to as 'crossing the Cook Strait'.



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How to Get Between Islands in New Zealand. Because there is no bridge or tunnel between the islands, you'll either have to catch a flight or take the ferry. When planning your itinerary, you'll need to factor in the main regions you want to cover and the time frame available.

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Can you drive from North to South in New Zealand? Fancy a road trip between islands? Unfortunately, there is no bridge or tunnel connecting the islands, the distance is too great. However, there is an Interislander Ferry or Bluebridge Cook Strait car ferry that you can hop aboard.

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Taking the ferry as a walk-on passenger Taking the ferry without a vehicle is the cheapest - and also the most convenient - way of crossing the strait - and if you book with us you will leave your existing rental vehicle at one end, and pick up a new one at the other.

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I want to see which country is cheapest to fly to from New Zealand. It turns out that the most inexpensive flight from Auckland is to Tonga for $239. Other affordable starting destinations are Samoa ($255), Fiji ($273), the Cook Islands ($293), and Vanuatu ($321).

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Cook Strait can also be one of the world's roughest stretches of water. It's part of the westerly wind belt known as the Roaring Forties.

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New Zealand's most famous and beautiful ferry route is between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island. The journey between the two islands is commonly referred to as 'crossing the Cook Strait'. The sailing time is around 3.5 hours (weather dependent).

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The two islands are extremely complimentary of each other yet offer very different things. It's a no-brainer that if you are travelling to New Zealand for more than a couple of weeks, you should visit both islands!

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Getting to Great Barrier Island by ferry By Sealink ferry, the crossing from Auckland is a relaxing 4 and a half hours, docking at Tryphena wharf 7 days a week in the summer and 3 days in the winter. The ferry is able to transport passengers, freight and vehicles.

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A Scot has set a new world record for the fastest swim across the Cook Strait - the waters between New Zealand's North and South Islands. Andy Donaldson, 31, swam through the night to complete the 23km route in four hours and 33 minutes.

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5-10 days will mean you can take a tour with more time to explore and more 2 nights stops on one island 10-14 days will allow you to visit both the North and South Island starting on one and finishing on the other.

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For a 10-day trip, we recommend visiting up to four or five different destinations. Our 10-day itinerary locations are some of the most popular: Auckland the City of Sails, Wellington the cultural, art and food capital, and Queenstown the home of world-class adrenaline activities.

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Australia or New Zealand? New Zealand has a lower cost of living than Australia. You'll likely pay less for everything there. The cost of living in each country is an average set of data.

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New Zealand shoppers face some of the most expensive groceries in the OECD. In July 2021, a commerce commission investigation into New Zealand's supermarket duopoly found the grocers were making huge profits and charging some of the highest prices in the OECD.

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KiwiRail - Northern Explorer operates a train from Auckland Strand to Wellington 3 times a week. Tickets cost $85 - $220 and the journey takes 10h 40m. Alternatively, InterCity operates a bus from Auckland - Central to Wellington - Central once daily. Tickets cost $70 - $120 and the journey takes 11h 15m.

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