Tuesday, May 12, 2015

the new Interisland line ferry is named 'Kaiarahi'


The Interislander's new ferry has been named Kaiarahi, which in Maori means "leadership" or "to lead", but also has metaphorical meanings including "guardian" or "to guide".

While many on Wellington's streets struggled with the pronunciation, the new name was universally liked. The name was revealed on Tuesday morning at the Wellington Interislander ferry terminal and was kept strictly under wraps until the unveiling.

The ship, formerly known as Stena Alegra, would go into service on Cook Strait in the spring, KiwiRail said. The ship was in dry dock in Singapore getting upgrades including new lounges, bar, stabilisers, navigation, engine room equipment, and gangway access.


And, of course, for a comprehensive history of NZ's inter-island ferries up to 2010, see the book by Vic Young, Strait Crossing: the ferries of Cook Strait through time

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