KiwiRail's Valentine odyssey

Valentine – when it was in Port Otago for maintenance, not en route to Antarctica. (Image: Port Otago)

Tue, 19 Sep 2023

KiwiRail has sold its freight-only ferry, Valentine, which is off to Greece to plough what ancient poet Homer called the wine-dark sea. The state-owned enterprise (SOE) leased the vessel in November 2021 while one of its other Interislander ferries, Kaiarahi, was undergoing repairs on its gearbox.The SOE confirmed it was exercising an option to purchase Valentine for €5.2 million (NZ$9.38m) last September, to boost freight capacity across Cook Strait.Valentine has kept ship spotters busy during its brief tenure in New Zealand.Earlier...

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