Picton Port — Local services in South Island

Pretty as a picture, Picton is your first port of call if you catch the Interislander or Bluebridge ferry from Wellington. Although tiny it has everything you need as a traveller: watering-holes, fast food joints, cafes, a good selection of rental car services, and strikingly, no shortage of accommodation! Because of the pandemic, you will find more vacancies than usual (no overseas tourists), from hotels and motels to backpackers, etc., so don't be afraid to negotiate the price with the manager. However come January onwards when the bulk of the workforce goes on holiday, the situation may alter, so book early perhaps.

Although Picton is an important transport hub, where South Island road and rail services meet inter-island ferries for connectivity to the North Island, it is a relaxed, compact little town with a museum, aquarium, i-Site, marina and the CBD, etc. located close together and within easy walking distance from the ferry terminal. It is very scenic with a pretty waterfront that is popular with visitors as a backdrop for their photoshoots. Because there are more tourist attractions than meets the eye, it pays to enquire at the iSite information centre so you can...

We were first to arrive in our camper, there were just a couple of cars ahead of us. The heavy trucks went on first. Then we waited and waited while every car was loaded, even the late ones. When they finally let us on they put me behind a truck at the back. The rest of the campers got their own line. We got to the passenger section and every seat was taken and so was a lot of the food. When it was time to get off all the other camper vans cars were off loaded and eventually I got fed up and went around the trucks. A miserable trip. So there is no point checking in early it's a crapshoot if you get a seat of anything...

A quaint, forgotten by men and god himself yet extremely picturesque little place at the northernmost tip of the South Island. Were it not for the Interislander Ferry service few would notice Picton even existed. The ferry takes a fair bit to meander in the shadow of the area's complicated as well as compelling coastline before finally launching into the placid waters of Cook Strait; once that happens, Wellington in its full glory is firmly in your sights as the vessel slowly but surely winds its way towards the...