Regular ferries link the New Zealand capital of Wellington on the north island with Picton on the south island and it couldn’t be easier to take your bike on board for the 4-hour sailing.
You don’t have to do anything special – just buy your ticket as a foot passenger (NZ$50-60) and pay for the bicycle (NZ$10), show up 45 minutes ahead of departure and roll on. In high season and around holidays like Easter you should book ahead just to be safe but there’s normally plenty of space for people travelling without cars.
There are two companies that run boats, Bluebridge (www.bluebridge.co.nz) and Interislander (www.interislander.co.nz), and there’s not much to choose between them. Bluebridge services leave from the most central pier, while the Interislander dock is a few minutes from the downtown core by bicycle.
Between the two companies, there are 8-10 runs a day in both directions and you can check the latest timetables on the Interislander and Bluebridge websites.
Once on the boat, you’ll find the usual array of snacks, drinks and entertainment in the form of televisions and a cinema. Everything but watching TV in the bar will cost you money though so if you’re on a budget pack a lunch and a good book.