How long is the ferry between New Zealand islands?

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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One of the best ways to tour New Zealand is from behind the wheel of a car (or a campervan). This itinerary is designed as a 3 week road trip, starting in Auckland on the North Island and ending at Queenstown on the South Island.

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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. As the only gap between the mountainous main islands of the country, the strait acts like a huge wind tunnel.

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Backpackers might spend 1-2 months in the country but anyone that wants the best of New Zealand in a shorter time frame should aim for 2-3 weeks. That will give you enough time to experience everything you've ever heard about New Zealand.

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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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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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Cook strait It's 26 kilometres of cold, rough water swimming against strong tidal flows and abundant marine life. Due to the underlying mountainous geography, the water can be extremely unpredictable with swirling eddies and upward currents. There are very few opportunities, in any given year, to attempt this swim.

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