Welcome to our new series, ‘You’re Not a True Kiwi Until You’ve….’ where we’ll be exploring all of Aotearoa’s must-do experiences and destinations, and compiling them into one huge pandemic-proof bucket list. After all, if you’re in paradise already, why leave? (It’s a rhetorical question, guys).
CAPSULE X INTERISLANDER
Edition #1 – Cruising on the Interislander
We bet the song is in your head now isn’t it?
Apart from being the subject of one of New Zealand’s best-ever jingles (saaailing to the other side…) loading up the car and jumping onto the Interislander is one of those things you just have to do.
And with the entire country all to ourselves, we’re thinking a roadie around Aotearoa is the perfect way to shake off the 2020 scaries. Of course, that involves crossing a little thing called the Cook Strait.
But what’s the big deal about a ferry adventure?
We decided to investigate for ourselves on the way from Picton to Wellington after a South Island road trip, and found it’s not so much a ferry adventure as a whole resort experience smushed into three gloriously easy hours – think adults only lounges, kids’ entertainment and of course, views.
It’s all about the little things this year – a good wine, a beautiful view, 15 minutes of your kids being quiet – as much as it is about getting the most of out of experiences with friends and family. So, let’s jump on board.
THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL FERRY ADVENTURE
Ok sure, it’s an obvious one. You’ve seen the ads, the photos, the videos of the Interislander’s three ships – Kaitaki, Aratere and Kaiarahi – cruise through the Marlborough Sounds and Wellington Harbour.
But you can’t really comprehend the sheer magnificence of what you see and experience until you actually do it, and holy hell, it makes you proud to be a Kiwi.
If there’s anything we’ve learnt from this year (ok there’s plenty we’ve learnt from this year, but this is definitely one thing) it’s the value of slowing down and taking in what’s around us.
On that note, we reckon the best thing you can do when you’re exiting or entering the Marlborough Sounds is to grab a cold one, crack it open and head out to one of the outdoor viewing decks to see it all (we’d recommend a chilled Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ourselves, but you do you.)
No matter what direction you’re heading in, you’ll also cruise through Wellington Harbour (they reckon you can’t beat it on a good day), passing Somes/Matiu Island and the iconic Pencarrow Lighthouse and of course, the Cook Strait.
But the highlight of any Interislander journey has to be the hour you spend in the Marlborough Sounds, with a sail through long sheltered inlets and past dramatic hills and cliffs. There’s nothing like hearing Kiwis delight in their own backyard – so if you’re so inclined (like we were) a bingo game with phrases such as “It’s so beautiful!”, “Oh wow look at that” and “Did you know that the Sounds make up 20% of New Zealand’s coastline” is very fun. (No word of a lie we heard that one three times, is it on a poster on board or something?!)
SAFARI AT SEA, ANYONE?
Dolphin and whale watching are highlights of any holiday package, and when you’re on the Interislander you can squeeze it in before even reaching your destination (and not pay for it twice!). You stand a high chance of spotting any one of the five dolphin species that call the Cook Strait and the Sounds home – the common, bottlenose, dusky, Hector’s and the Orca (yup, the Killer Whale is technically a dolphin, who knew).
You can also spot seals (without having to smell them, which is a huge win, trust us – if you’ve ever sniffed a fur seal colony you’ll also know what we’re talking about) and albatross, blue-eyed penguins and Australasian gannets. If only there was a Shazam for Cook Strait wildlife – that would have come in very handy when we tried to figure out which bird was which! What was pretty obvious though were the two pods of bottlenose dolphins who decided to accompany us into Queen Charlotte Sounds. It’s the stuff Instagram feeds dream of.
ADULTS-ONLY LOUNGE
What’s the best way to start a holiday? Always in the lounge, thank you very much – and it’s no different on the Interislander. And the best part about the Plus Lounges on the Aratere and Kaitaki (especially if you’re with your gals on a girls’ getaway) is that it’s child-free. Can we get a hallelujah? Oh, and there’s a full buffet and bar included in the lounge’s ticket.
Our recommendation for the full resort-eque experience is to make yourself up a cheese and charcuterie platter, pour yourself a drink and sit back in the squishy chairs to indulge. Or if you’ve had a hard night the night before, pastries and coffee also work wonders (yes this was from experience).
KIDS’ CLUB
But if you are travelling with your kids, the ships also make travelling with them not only bearable, but enjoyable (try doing that on a plane).
If you’re travelling on the Kaitaki, you can chuck your kids on the two-story playground while you sip a Wellington-calibre coffee at the café right opposite and listen to all of the other parents remark “Thank God we’re not on a plane” and “Thank God we could just chuck all of their stuff into the car instead of smush it in a suitcase” and other varied and hilariously relatable parent-isms you can feel smug about if you’re child-free.
If your kids are a little older, there are plenty of kids movies playing in the cinema and in the children’s lounge, making it easy for you to abscond and watch something a little more grown up yourself (see below) or finally have that “yay we’re on holiday!” drink at the bar.
MOVIE TIME
For some of us, it’s been a while since we’ve got to go the movies (bloody Covid) so if you’ve been missing your regular blockbuster, you can hire a personal cinema headset – yes one of things that make you look like you’re in Back to the Future) and enjoy watching a flick all to yourself. It’s perfect if you want to drown out the rest of the world and just indulge in a little me-time while watching Jason Momoa in Aquaman.
