Two and sometimes three ferries ply between both islands. The trip takes three hours; about forty minutes to get out of Wellington harbour, eighty minutes in the open sea, and sixty minutes in the Marlborough Sounds, prior to berthing at Picton. The ferries are between 8000 and 16000 tonnes and are fitted with stabilizers to make the trip across more comfortable. The Marlborough Sounds ( it is Queen Charlotte Sound that the ferries go through ) are dotted with small, and not so small, houses often with their own beach and jetty ( wharf ). The area has much water traffic in the way of boats, yachts, and dinghys especially in the summer season from October to March. The ship on the left is the 8000tonne 'Arahura'.