Day 14: Ferry from Wellington to Picton in New Zealand - Queen Charlotte Drive - Nelson - Murchinson
Today we start the day with the Wellington to Picton ferry, with which we will make the journey by sea that separates us from the South Island and with which the route through the North Island ends of this trip to New Zealand, which so many incredible comments has given us, for almost two weeks.
Before starting with the details of this journey, we want to highlight, as we commented on the day we made the tour of the Forgotten World Highway, how important it is, especially if you come in high season or mid season, book this ferry from the North Island to the South Island with some time.
This is simply because of the availability of places at this time of the year, when they run out very quickly or only the most expensive places remain, so if you take a long time to book, you will end up paying almost double or triple what they cost usually.
Ferry from Wellington to Picton
This is the most appropriate way to cross from one island to another especially if you are making this trip to New Zealand by motorhome.
This route from Wellington to Picton is operated only by two ferry companies: Interislander and Bluebridge.
Interislander has services up to 3 times a day with a duration of 3:10 hours and Bluebridge makes this journey 4 times a day, with a duration of 3:30 hours.
You can book the ferry from Wellington to Picton here.
Ferry from Wellington to Picton in New Zealand
Tips for booking and making the ferry ride from Wellington to Picton
- In our case, in the end we had to opt for the Bluebridge company, since it was the one that best suits us for schedules and availability. This company has a Wellington to Picton ferry It leaves at 8 in the morning, a perfect time if you want to take advantage of the full day already on the South Island of New Zealand.
- Keep in mind that you have to be an hour before to check in, before going through a small ticket office, in which they give you some labels with which they tell you where you should get in order to access the ferry.
- According to the company with which you are going to make the journey from Wellington to Picton, you will have to go to one area or another of the city, since both leave from different areas of the port. We leave you later the map with the exact location of each of them.
- The ferry is super comfortable and has a restaurant, cafeteria, movie theater, cabins, work area with plugs, tables, chairs and free WiFi.
- Although the whole journey is wonderful, the last part, in which you enter the South Island, is a true spectacle for the senses.
- If you go outside, keep in mind that depending on the day, it can be quite cold, so it is important to wear some shelter.
- In case you get dizzy, a good recommendation is to take a dizziness pill one hour before boarding.
You can book the ferry from Wellington to Picton here.
We leave you the map of the ferry route from Wellington to Picton in New Zealand.
Views from the Wellington Ferry to Picton
As we mentioned earlier, on time at 7:30 in the morning we access the ferry from Wellington to Picton and after leaving our Jucy motorhome in the area below the ferry, we access the seating area, where we approach the Cafeteria to order breakfast and after a coffee and a pasta, for 10NZD, spend the next 3 hours and a half enjoying unique landscapes, which remind us of how amazing this country is and how lucky we are to be doing this trip.
More practical information to prepare your trip to New Zealand
- 10 essential tips for traveling to New Zealand
- 10 essential places to see in New Zealand
- The best travel insurance for New Zealand
Remember that if you are interested in making a route through New Zealand by motorhome, we recommend you look at the Motorhome Republic page where you can see all the available motorhome options, prices and make the reservation directly.
Ferry from Wellington to Picton
It's 11:45 when we reach the end of ferry ride from Wellington to Picton and we start what will be our route through the South Island of New Zealand heading to the Queen Charlotte Drive, which they say is one of the most beautiful panoramic roads in the country and one of the essential places to see in New Zealand.
Queen Charlotte Drive in New Zealand
Between Picton and Havelock you can travel a winding road of 40 kilometers, through native forest, where you can enjoy unique views and landscapes that we are sure, will not disappoint you, even on the most cloudy days.
Keep in mind that throughout the 40 kilometers there are dozens of viewpoints, so we recommend you take it easy and have 3 hours minimum to be able to walk it with peace and enjoy it to the fullest, even taking your time to eat in front of any of Its stunning landscapes.
Queen Charlotte Drive
In addition to incredible landscapes, the Queen Charlotte Drive stands out for passing through small towns where art is its main protagonist and where you can find really interesting pieces of crafts, which you can take home as one of the most special memories of your trip.
Remember that the entire road runs through forests, it is quite narrow and runs between endless curves, so it is very important to be alert and drive with caution.
Queen Charlotte Drive
Tips for touring the Queen Charlotte Drive
- In the 40 kilometers you can only park in the viewpoints, either to admire the landscape or make a stop to eat. In no case these spaces are enabled to spend the night, although there is enough space. In the area there are only a few campsites where you can sleep, but as long as it is allowed since when the risk of fire is very high, these campsites close and you can not sleep.
- On the Queen Charlotte Drive there are viewpoints every few meters, so if you do not want to stop at all, we recommend you more or less have an idea of the area you are visiting and stop at one or two of each section.
- This is a road that many cyclists usually do too. Keep it in mind, since the road has many curves, and is not too wide.
- Although it is considered one of the most scenic roads in the country, in our case after crossing it, we believe that it is not a essential As such and if you have already taken a tour of the places to see in the Coromandel Peninsula, for example, this is probably not as incredible as the previous one.
Despite this, if you have time after making the journey Wellington to Picton ferry, we believe it is a perfect way to enter the South Island of New Zealand.
Landscapes of the Queen Charlotte Drive
We enjoyed the Queen Charlotte Drive for practically three hours, which we also used to eat at one of the viewpoints, when we arrived at Havelock, the end point of the road, decide to continue to Nelson, seeing that we have enough time and thus advance a little the route we had planned today, after the ferry from Wellington to Picton and the route of this road.
Once in Nelson and when it is 5 in the afternoon, we stop for coffee and stretch our legs and how could it be otherwise, approach us to one of its most picturesque places, which is none other than his famous jewelry.
Nelson, the city in which the Single Ring was forged
Known for its good weather and beautiful surroundings, Nelson is the perfect place to stop or even spend the night after doing the ferry ride from Wellington to Picton.
Although it is a city that has several attractions, in our case being only a technical stop, we decided to park on the main street and after walking for a while and having a coffee, we approached the Jens Hansen jewelry store, where the Unique ring of the movie The Lord of the rings and where you can see a small jewelry store, in which in this shop window you can see this piece and even several replicas that you can buy in gold or silver for a good handful of New Zealand dollars.
Jewelry Jens Hansen in Nelson
After this brief visit we return to our motorhome and with a threatening sky, we make our way to Murchinson, a small town on the way to Westport, where we decided to spend the night at the Riverside Holiday Park, our accommodation in Murchinson, for 20NZD and where after a quick dinner , we fall like children, already dreaming of this new stage of the trip.
We leave you the map of the route today on the Queen Charlotte Drive, where after crossing it, we make a brief stop in Nelson, before arriving at Murchinson, where we stayed.
Day 15: What to see on the West Coast of New Zealand: Cape Foulwin - Tauranga Bay - Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks) - Greymouth - Hokitika gorges
