the first aerial crossing of Cook Strait in an Avro 504K, 1920

Over 10,000 of the Avro 504 were built from 1913 to the time production ended in 1932; it was used in WW1, mostly as a trainer. Today light planes regularly fly between Wellington and Picton or Blenheim with larger planes between Wellington and Nelson, and 737 jets between Wellington and Christchurch.

For details of the ferry ships that have traversed Cook Strait over the same routes since the 19th century, see he book Strait Crossing