Cook Strait Ferries ... The Lynx.Nov 10 '02 (Updated Mar 29 '03) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Strait talking. If you want to travel between the North and South Islands, you can either fly or sail. By far the most scenic way is to take one of the ferries over the strait.Two ferry services are on offer, The Interislander and The Lynx. On a recent trip I had booked one way on the Interislander and the return leg on the Lynx but due to a delay, we were upgraded to The Lynx for both crossings. The Lynx is the faster, more expensive option and cuts about 3/4 hour off the journey so we were quite happy as it turned out. The journey over to the South Island was a bit rougher then the return journey due to a southerly weather front that was slamming into Wellington ( nothing new )but once we entered the Tory Channel at the beginning of the Marlbourough Sounds, things calmed down straight away. The view was spectacular with the bush clad cliffs and small sandy beaches. Quite a few homes are dotted here and there along the way, apart from the odd sheep and cattle farm most of the houses would be holiday homes.As there is limited road access to the sounds, alot of the homes are accessable by sea only and are extremely popular as holiday rentals. They certainly look idylic. The Boat The Lynx ferry is a large catamaran, to be precise it is a 98m Wave Piercing Catamaran with a passenger capacity of 840, plus it can carry 250 vehicles. With a cruising speed of 40 knots ( 70 k/ph ) it makes light work of the open seas of Cook Strait. Sadly, due to speed restrictions it has to cut power once it enters the Marlbourough Sounds as local residents were complaining about the huge waves it was making when ever it roared passed.As well as making waves, it was also having disastorous effects on the delicate ecosystem of the calm water bays so in the interests of everyone and everything, the fast ferry has become the fast-in-places ferry. What to do on the boat With 2 1/4 hours to kill on the crossing there is not overly much in the way of entertainment. For Cook Strait novices like me it was enough to just look out the window and enjoy the views but for those who do it regularly, you have a couple of options. You can hit the bars and drink yourself silly, you can have a meal, you can buy a newspaper, book or magazine from the Onboard Shop and thats about it. The bigger Interislander ferries have a movie theatre and TV available but no such luck in the smaller Lynx. There is a childrens area called Boris Beach where kids can play video games, watch cartoons or play in the playground. Most of the kids on board seemed quite happy in this area. Refreshments There are 3 bar areas on the ship. We have The Lookout bar in the front where you can buy drinks and snack food. The Cafe in the middle provides more wholesome fare like meals and hot snacks and at the rear of the boat you will find The Aft Bar which sells drinks and snacks. On the trip over the boat was pretty full and all the bars were well patronised. There never seemed to be many people waiting to be served so it was all ticking along nicely. I didn't partake in any of the onboard refreshments though as I didn't want to chance getting seasick. Every time I went walkabout I found myself bouncing off the walls. On the way over we were sitting in the rear of the boat, we ventured up to the front to see what it was like and as we were out in the rough seas at the time, I found getting my sealegs a bit hard. Once at the front it was like being on a monstrous rocking horse, more noticable when standing then sitting. I made my way back to my seat and didn't try walking around again until we entered the calm waters in the Sounds. On the return journey there were only about 30 or so passengers and we managed to score the very front seats. The motion was more side to side this time and I stayed put again until we reached Wellington harbour. As luck would have it we timed our entrance into Wellington to coincide with the Guy Fawkes fireworks display put on by Wellington City Council. As our ferry had to delay docking due to the fireworks, we parked up and the Captain turned all the cabin lights off so we could get a better view. This was great until we found that we had to sail around Wellington harbour for 20 minutes or so while the fireworks barge was towed away from our docking area. To cap it off, when we finally did dock we couldn't get off as the ramp wouldn't lower due to some power failure. We had to wait while the harbour engineer and electrician arrived to sort it all out. Eventually they got the ramp down and all 12 of us foot passengers where escorted out by crew members. We were met by a freezing cold blast of Wellington southerly wind just to let us know we were coming to the end of our holiday. Prices If possible, make sure to pre-book tickets to get the SAVER fare. If you turn up on the day, you can only purchase the STANDARD fare so if you have an itinerary planned, make sure to book the ferry in advance. ONE WAY. LYNX ~ Adult $68 standard, $47 saver Child $39 standard, $29 saver Vehicle $199 standard, $149 saver INTERISLANDER ~ Adult $52 standard, $36 saver Child $31 standard, $23 saver Vehicle $179 standard, $129 saver. RETURN. Time restrictions apply on return fares, they are only valid for 3 nights/4 days, if you go over the time allowed you will have to purchase another one-way ticket. LYNX ~ Adult $89 standard, $69 saver Child $55 standard, $39 saver Vehicle $289 standard, $199 saver INTERISLANDER ~ Adult $69 standard, $49 saver Child $45 standard, $29 saver Vehicle $259 standard, $179 saver. COMBO RETURN This was the fare I booked, it allows one way on the Interislander and the other on the Lynx. ~ Adult $79 standard, $59 return ~ Child $50 standard, $34 saver ~ vehicle $279 standard, $189 saver. Like the return fare, this fare is short term and only valid over a 3 night/4 day period. Rental Cars If renting, check with the company before booking the ferry as many companies will allow you to turn the car over at the point of departure and pick up another vehicle at the point of arrival. All of the major companies and quite a few smaller ones have depots in Picton. Booking You can book on the website, over the phone or through a travel agent. If booking from overseas the standard fare is your only option so wait till you arrive in NZ to get the cheaper fares. Website www.interislandline.co.nz Phone freephone NZ only 0800 802 802 International contact phone 64 4 4983302 fax 64 4 4983090 The ferries run all day, all night, 365 days of the year. ============================= More reviews. Wellington - http://www.epinions.com/content_77398445700 Marlbourough - http://www.epinions.com/content_80145387140 Touring New Zealand - http://www.epinions.com/content_2381815940  |
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