Toll unveils new Cook Strait ferry

Cook Strait ferry operator Toll Shipping has revealed details of its new ferry to enter service in August.

The 182m-long ferry, named Kaitaki, which is Maori for challenger, can carry up to 1600 passengers and 600 cars, but no trains.

Speaking at the Trenz (Tourism Rendezvous New Zealand) tourism conference in Christchurch yesterday, Toll divisional general manager Paul Garaty said the ferry would be the largest on the Cook Strait service.

"In selecting the vessel our priority was to ensure we had more passenger and freight capacity at key sailing times."

The ship was built in Rotterdam for Irish Ferries as The Isle of Innisfree in 1995 and in 2002 was chartered to P&O ferries as The Pride of Cherbourg.

Most recently the vessel was chartered as the Stena Challenger on the Stena Lines Baltic service.

Mr Garaty said the Kaitaki would replace the withdrawn fast-ferry The Lynx and freight vessel Purbeck, which will be taken out of service in August.

Despite the withdrawal of these vessels, the Kaitaki would increase Toll's Cook Strait passenger capacity by about 26 per cent and its freight capacity by about 47 per cent with its 1700 lane metres of trailer space.

"It's really investing in the future and making sure we have capacity for growth, particularly from the international market but also from the domestic market."

Mr Garaty said the Kaitaki had a good weight capacity, minimising damage to the foreshore from wash, and its size meant it had good "sea-keeping qualities" and could keep to schedules during adverse marine conditions.

The Cook Strait route was "one of the most spectacular ferry rides in the world and we are looking to raise the service and the standards within that to really match those with the journey", he said.

Toll had spent 18 months looking for a vessel before settling on the Kaitaki, which would soon be on its way from Poland.

"It's a step forward for our business and it's taking it to the next level and we're very excited about introducing the vessel."

Tourism Industry Association chief executive Fiona Luhrs, commended Toll on the addition of the Kaitaki.

"Having the necessary tourism infrastructure is an important part of attracting visitors to New Zealand - the more convenient we can make their experience the better."

Tourism Minister Mark Burton said it was pleasing to see Toll "concentrating on providing a quality tourism experience as well as offering additional capacity, as both factors are absolutely essential to meet ongoing tourism growth trends in New Zealand".

The number of overseas tourists visiting New Zealand was expected to rise to 3 million a year by 2014 from the present 2 million a year, Ms Luhrs told the Trenz conference.

- NZPA