Riding Our Harleys Onto The Interislander Ferry from Wellington to Picton
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- 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 tie-downs. 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.
Welcome to the dirty south guys enjoy great time of year come see it apart from road cones
We had a great time in the South Island, riders paradise down there and will definitely be back 😎
Awesome video dude. I reckon the Interislander should use this on their website. I’ve also always wondered what the process is for bikes.
Thanks mate, happy you found it useful 😊
Hi I like your video
Ive done this journey many times but in cars, One interesting region to explore is the West Coast of the South Island, Reefton was the first place in NZ to get Electricity going on 4th August 1888, Some interesting History in the South Island
Thanks Tim, I have also enjoyed the West Coast a few times and on this particular trip we rode up the West Coast from Cromwell cutting over through Haast Pass and then up on SH6 passing through Fox Glacier, Franz Jozef and overnighting in Ross, wonderful little town. We carried on up through Greymouth and then cut back inland through Reefton and Murchison on our way through to Nelson. The South Island has some of the best riding roads and scenery around. Looking forward to going back down there later this year.
Didn't stay in Picton?. Bit of a mistake. Peaceful with many nice bars, restaurants, walks etc, etc. Great Motels too. The marina's with cafe/bar. Blenheim does have the Omaka warplane museum though fantastic.
Picton is a nice town, but for this trip we had a rally to get to down in Cromwell so time was short.
Hey thanks Hughe. Have taken the crossing A few times but never on my bike. Do they provide the tie-downs or do you have to provide these yourself?
I recommend taking your own - you can pick up some decent tie-down ratchet sets for $12 per 2pk at most hardware stores. The ferry has some kind of straps available apparently but I have not used them.
Hey mate, planning to do this in the summer. Can you please give me some tips on how to get organised about the tie downs? Which ones to use and best mounting points. I have a 2021 Suzuki Katana.
They do have straps on the vessels but they are a little hit and miss. My advice is bring your own. I bought a couple of 25mm x 4.5m S hook tie downs from the local hardware store (Bunnings/Mitre10) which cost around $12 per 2pk. I found that I only used two at the front end of the bike but I carried three with me just in case one of them malfunctioned or I needed to tie it down at the rear as well. We had smooth sailings and two at the front to tie the bike down was enough. On my bike I am able to loop around the yoke on the front forks fairly easily and tighten it down that way. I am not familiar with your bike but there must be something similar. Experiment in your garage to find a place you can easily loop around and then exert pressure to tie down the strap and immobilise your bike without the cost of damaging your bike. Enjoy your crossing, hopefully the ferries will be sorted out by end of the year !
@@HughBeRiding thanks for the tip. Will be getting tie downs for front and back.
Could I ask what your weight compacity is and if you exceed it with all your gear and misses?, thanks.
Good question. Spec sheet says the bike is 320kg wet and is rated for around 500kg gross weight and I guess when me and my wife are on board with all our gear and bags (when long distance riding) we must be pushing pretty close or maybe a little over that weight. The bike has had some work done with a Stage II SE 255 cam kit. Never had any issues with the bike under load while touring and it’s 40k km later so I suppose it’s okay. Cheers.
Hi I like your video