Cook Strait freight ferry out for 6-8 weeks

The Interislander ferry Valentine has arrived in Port Otago for maintenance. (Image: Port Otago)

Fri, 21 Apr 2023

The freight-only Interislander ferry Valentine will be out of action for six-to-eight weeks while it undergoes scheduled maintenance at Port Otago.Valentine arrived in Otago on Friday, prompting some credulous ship spotters to suggest it was embarking on a voyage to Antarctica.Not so – it’s just routine maintenance.KiwiRail exercised its option to purchase the vessel for €5.2 million (more than NZ$9m) last September to boost freight capacity across the Cook Strait.The state-owned ferry operator originally leased Valentine in No...

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