The ferry services across the Cook Strait are some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most vital transport links.
They also tend to be particularly prone to failure, as illustrated by a series of recent problems that have included failing ships and mayday calls.
*NZ Herald* Wellington-based senior reporter Georgina Campbell has reported on the myriad problems over the last 12 months and tells The Front Page podcast that the importance of this transport link should not be underestimated.
“The Interislander ferry operates around 3,800 ferry services a year, transporting about 850,000 passengers, 250,000 cars and billions of dollars worth of freight,” says Campbell. \
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There are two ferry services operating across this route – the Interislander and Bluebridge.
Bluebridge currently has two vessels in its fleet and the Interislander has four after it purchased The Valentine for freight amid ongoing problems.
