Interisland fast ferry completes last journey

The Interisland Line fast ferry Lynx completed its final crossing of Cook Strait last night when it reached Wellington at 9.15pm

The Incat 046, which had been sailing between the North and South Islands since December 2003, left today to return to its owners in Newcastle, Australia.

Interisland Line owners, Toll Shipping, said today the company had not decided whether a fast ferry would be back on the interisland run next summer.

The situation was still being reviewed along with the configuration of the company's future fleet to tackle Cook Strait, Toll spokeswoman Jess Batchelor said.

She would not confirm suggestions the company was securing a 1600-passenger ferry to sail Cook Strait.

The possibility of a new and bigger Toll Shipping ferry was raised in mid-March. Toll was believed to be in the process of agreeing to use former English Channel ferry Pride of Cherbourg, now named Stena Challenger.

Ms Batchelor said today nothing had been signed and the company was not discussing the issue as it was commercially sensitive.

Toll still operates the conventional ferries Arahura and Aratere.

- NZPA