A powerful southerly front sweeping across central Aotearoa has brought Cook Strait ferry traffic to a grinding halt, as towering swells and high winds make conditions too dangerous for passenger vessels to cross. Both major operators, Interislander and Bluebridge, have suspended services until Friday afternoon at the earliest, with some additional weekend sailings planned to ease the backlog.
The weather system, which MetService has warned will bring severe rain, snow, and wind to much of the country’s lower North and upper South Islands, is also generating significant marine hazards in Cook Strait. Swell forecasts of up to 7 metres are expected to persist into early Saturday, with gale-force southerlies compounding the risk for vessels attempting to make the crossing.
Interislander suspends three days of sailings
Interislander has confirmed that all crossings from Wednesday afternoon (30 April) through to Friday afternoon (2 May) have been cancelled. In total, 18 sailings have been affected — nine in each direction — including key daytime and overnight services aboard the Aratere and Kaiārahi ferries.
“A significant southerly weather system is forecast to bring strong winds and swells of up to 7 metres to Cook Strait. As a result, we have had to cancel all sailings from Wednesday afternoon through to Friday,” Interislander said in a public update.
Impacted passengers have been contacted directly, and Interislander has added extra sailings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning to accommodate the disruption. Further changes may be announced if the forecast deteriorates further.
Bluebridge also cancels services through to Friday
Bluebridge has taken similar steps, cancelling all of its Wednesday and Thursday sailings and its early Friday morning service from Picton to Wellington. That includes daytime, overnight, and early-morning crossings, with a total of 13 services affected.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Bluebridge said all customers had been notified and that extra weekend services were being added — including a 1:30pm Saturday sailing from Wellington and a 7:15pm sailing from Picton.
“Our top priority is ensuring everyone’s safety while minimising the impact on your travel plans,” Bluebridge stated. “We are monitoring the situation closely and will advise if more sailings are affected.”
Passengers are being encouraged to manage bookings online where possible, as phone lines and customer service inboxes are under heavy demand.
Marine and road warnings remain active
MetService has issued orange weather warnings across several regions including Wellington, Kaikōura, Canterbury, and Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, along with road snowfall alerts for alpine passes. For mariners and coastal operators, the heavy swell warnings in Cook Strait are among the most severe issued this season, with sea heights off the Wairarapa coast forecast to exceed 7 metres.
Inland, strong winds and surface flooding are causing widespread travel disruption. State Highway users are advised to plan carefully and monitor live traffic alerts. The combined impact of marine and land-based weather is expected to continue until late Friday or early Saturday.
Ferry operators watching conditions closely
While this sort of disruption isn’t uncommon for Cook Strait in winter, the timing — at the end of April — has caught some off guard, particularly freight and tourism operators moving between the islands.
Both Interislander and Bluebridge are updating their respective service alert pages regularly:
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Interislander service alerts: interislander.co.nz/plan/service-alerts
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Bluebridge alerts: bluebridge.co.nz/service-alerts
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Travellers are advised to avoid unnecessary travel during this weather window and rebook where possible for sailings later in the weekend. Though both companies are working to clear the backlog, berth availability will likely be tight through Saturday and Sunday.
For now, the Strait remains firmly closed to most traffic — a stark reminder that in New Zealand’s most notorious stretch of water, Mother Nature still calls the shots.
