New Interislander ferry due in Wellington

KiwiRail's Interislander ferry Arahura is being replaced. Photo / NZ Herald

A new addition to the Interislander ferry family is due in Wellington today.

The 180m freight and passenger ferry Kaiarahi has made a 13-day trip from Singapore, after undergoing an extensive refit, to join the Aratere and Kaitaki in crossing the Cook Strait.

It's not the first time Kaiarahi has visited New Zealand - she was originally chartered by Interislander in 2013, under the name Stena Alegra, but suffered several mechanical problems including an engine failure in Wellington Harbour. She also suffered a 6m gash in the hull during berthing difficulties, and lost part of a propeller blade.

The boat was built in 1998 as the Dawn Merchant but since then has been re-named seven times - at one time going by the name T-Rex. She has been sold twice and has ferried people between Poland and Sweden, across the English Channel, and in the Mediterranean.

Since 2013 she has been owned by Swiss company Stena RoRo, from whom Interislander has chartered the ferry.

The 22,152 tonne vessel can carry up to 550 passengers and 1900 lane metres of freight - more than could be carried by her predecessor Arahura.

The refit in Singapore means Kaiarahi has new passenger lounges and a drivers' lounge.

She has also been fitted with external stabilisers to ensure a smoother ride on the Cook Strait, and there have been upgrades to her engine and navigation equipment.

"Kaiarahi will come into Wellington harbour from about 5am, so she can receive a dawn blessing on Aotea Quay from local iwi," Interislander boss Mark Thompson said.

"She will spend the next few weeks undergoing sea trials and crew drills before spending some time at Aotea Quay in Wellington getting local IT and Wi-Fi equipment installed. She is due to begin scheduled services around mid-October."

Kaiarahi, means 'leadership' or 'to lead' and its metaphorical meaning is 'guardian' or 'to guide'.

"Interislander ferries make about 4500 crossings of Cook Strait each year and 2014/15 was our busiest summer yet," Mr Thompson said.