Interislander ferry routes
Every route operated by Interislander at a glance, with current crossing times, timetables and ticket prices.
The Interislander ferry service between New Zealand's two main islands began in August 1962 under the New Zealand Railways Department. In 2017, Interislander became part of Great Journeys New Zealand, a new KiwiRail tourism brand that also covers the Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine train routes.
Interislander links Wellington and Picton across Cook Strait on a 50-nautical-mile route (93 km) that takes about three hours. The service carries around one million passengers and 230,000 vehicles a year across 5,500 crossings.
KiwiRail currently runs a two-ship fleet: Kaiārahi and Kaitaki, which together cross the strait 4,000 times a year. Kaitaki (Challenger) carries up to 1,400 passengers, Kaiārahi (Guide/Guardian) 550. The Aratere, New Zealand's only rail ferry, was retired in August 2024 after 26 years in service. Rail freight has since been handled by road transfer.
On 31 March 2025, details of two new replacement ferries were released: each will be 200 metres long and 28 metres wide, with rail decks. Completion is expected by Christmas 2029. The overall programme covers 596 million dollars for shipbuilding at a yard in Guangzhou, plus infrastructure works in Picton (531 million) and Wellington (325 million). On board there will be cafés, lounges and observation decks.
Route map
Every route operated by Interislander at a glance
Interislander ships
- Kaiarahi
- Kaitaki