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New Zealand’s capital city,
Wellington, will be much more accessible to
fly-drive tourists this summer, with the introduction of a huge new
passenger ferry between the country’s North and South islands.
Kaitaki, has been introduced by ferry operator Interislander to help meet
strong demand for travel between Wellington and the South Island port of
Picton, and to supplement the capacity already provided by the passenger and
vehicle ferries Aratere and Arahura.
 Until now, the existing Interislander fleet has not provided enough
capacity to accommodate the peak summer demand for vehicle and passenger
movements between the islands.
That capacity squeeze has now eased significantly with the arrival of the
22,365 tonne Kaitaki, which can carry 1,600 passengers and 600 cars,
compared with 1,000 passengers and 200 cars on the vessel it replaces, the
high-speed Lynx catamaran.
“Kaitaki’s extra capacity will make inter-island travel much more
accessible during the peak period from November to March, and we welcome
this very positive development,” said Chris Lamers, General Manager
Marketing for Positively Wellington Tourism.
“For many years, a shortage of high season ferry capacity has been an
impediment to inter-island travel, particularly the international fly-drive
market, which is strong in the summer months,” said Mr Lamers.
“The increased capacity offered by Kaitaki now delivers a significant new
opportunity for Wellington to attract visitors who might otherwise remain on
the South Island. It also enables travellers to enjoy a much broader
experience of New Zealand, combining the very different attractions offered
by both islands,” he said.
The journey aboard the ferry Kaitaki also offers a range of attractions
to passengers during the three-hour inter-island crossing, with on-board
facilities including a large open-plan food court, coffee kiosks, a
two-level playground for children, a large stage area for band performances,
and, by the end of this year, two cinemas.
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