Five ships travel the 3 hr 15 minute journey
between New Zealand's North and South Islands. But there's a lot
more to the subject than the 16 words in this first sentence; indeed,
I've managed to write over 4,000 words encompassing everything from the
history of New Zealand's passenger ferry services through to a personal
reminiscence (I used to work on these ships myself).
And, of course, there's an explanation of
the picture you see here (a classic image taken in 1974, back when I was
working on that ship myself), and a general commentary on weather issues
– Cook Strait, between NZ's two islands, is generally considered to be
the second roughest stretch of water in the world.
On a calm day, the crossing is idyllic, and
on a rough day – well, as I also discuss, it is common to find that
airfares are cheaper than ferry fares, so perhaps better on such days to
fly!
This article, spread over three pages, has
been written while I am currently in New Zealand, and adds to the
growing section on the site about New Zealand.
