In this video we show the process of boarding the Interislander Ferry from Wellington to Picton on a motorbike. There are two ferry companies you can choose from being Interislander who we used or else use the Bluebridge service. Both companies run regular services between Wellington and Picton sailing across the Cook Strait and through the Marlborough Sounds.

I expect the onboarding experience is very similar between the two operators which can be summarised as follows: arrive in plenty of time, have your ticket and ID handy, expect to wait at a staging area or two and you are strongly advised to bring your own tiedowns. I followed the advice of my pal Deano from ‪@deanosmotorcyclerides‬ and bought a couple of 25mm x 4.5m S hook Tie Down Ratchet sets for the princely sum of $12 per 2pk from the local hardware store. It turns out I am pretty good at securing the bike down but less good at releasing the tension on the straps at the journeys end but I suppose perfection comes with more practise. Will just have to make the crossing a few more times and hopefully that expertise will come sooner rather than later.

The sailing time is a little over three and a half hours and we crossed in perfectly calm clear conditions but the Cook Strait can sometimes get a little wild however on this day it was placid as a mill pond. On board facilities were fine and there is plenty of seating (first come first served) and food, drink and coffee options and also plenty of access to the outdoor decks.