Our next destination was Wellington, where we planned to catch the ferry to the South Island. The drive from New Plymouth to Wellington takes about 4.5 hours, so we decided to take it easy, rest up, and spend the night in New Zealand’s vibrant capital city.
DAY 1: Wellington
As the drive from New Plymouth to Wellington is quite long, here are our suggestions on where to stop during your trip:
The Yellow House Cafe
A nice place to rest and enjoy a good breakfast
Bush Street Caffe
For a nice coffee and breakfast
The Custard Pie
For delicious pies
Dark Horse Coffee Espresso Garden
One of the best coffee spots in South Island
Where to stay in wellington?
We decided to stay at the Ramada by Wyndham Wellington Taranaki Street, a hotel that offers great value for money. One of the biggest perks was the in-room washing machine—a lifesaver at this point in our journey! The hotel’s central location is a definite plus, though parking on the property can be a bit tricky. Upon our arrival, we were informed that there were no parking spots available at the hotel. However, there’s free on-street parking right in front of the hotel during the night, and several Wilson parking lots nearby. Interestingly, the cost of parking at the hotel is the same as at Wilson parks.
accommodatioN
Opt for the Ramada by Wyndham Wellington Taranaki Street if you’re looking for a hotel that offers great value for money
What to do in wellington?
Our time in Wellington was brief, but we still managed to squeeze in a hike to Mount Victoria Peak. That said, we can definitely recommend a few spots to grab some delicious food. As you might have gathered from our blog posts, eating is a close contender (and sometimes even outranks) our love for hiking!
DAY 2: PICTON
From Wellington, you can catch a ferry to Picton, with two companies operating between the islands: Interislander and Bluebridge. After some research, we decided to go with Bluebridge, though both options seemed quite similar to me.
FERRY INFO
The drive takes about 3.5 hours, and the cost varies depending on the type of vehicle, the number of passengers, and whether you’re traveling with a pet. For our standard two-wheel-drive vehicle, we paid around 150 NZD per person.
The ferry ride is quite comfortable, with a buffet on board offering snacks and coffee. However, midway through the journey, the waters can get rough—we felt a bit seasick ourselves. Unfortunately, we hadn’t thought to bring any motion sickness pills, which was definitely a lesson learned!
where to stay in picton?
In Picton, we chose to stay at the Jasmine Court Motel, conveniently located right across from a supermarket. The town center was just a 10-minute walk away, and the motel itself was clean, cozy, and staffed by friendly people. It turned out to be the perfect option for a one-night stay
WHAT to do in Picton?
Since we took the morning ferry, we arrived in Picton—where we planned to spend the night—quite early. Naturally, we decided to go hiking! Our choice was the Snout Track Loop, starting from the Snout Track car park.
The hike is an easy 9 km loop with a 300 m elevation gain. We loved the walk, especially the stunning views of Queen Charlotte Sound along the way. The entire trail took us just two hours to complete
Picton is a small but charming town, perfect for spending your evening wandering around the bay. In the morning, you can grab breakfast at one of the local coffee shops—we chose this one – Picton Village Bakery
Conclusion
Although Wellington and Picton were essentially stopovers during our transfer between the two islands, we thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent in both. I’m not sure if I’d dedicate more time to these spots, but if you have a few extra days and enjoy wine tasting, Picton could be worth a longer stay. In my opinion, the best wine in New Zealand comes from the Marlborough Sound region.
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