Kangaroo Island SeaLink is a South Australian ferry company and tour operator owned by

Kelsian Group Kelsian Group, formerly SeaLink Travel Group, is an Australian public company that operates transport services in Australia, United Kingdom and Singapore. History In 1989, the business was founded with the purchase of the Kangaroo Island SeaLink ...

, which has plied the crossing from mainland

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga (literally 'Island of the Dead' in the language of the Kaurna people), is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest ...

since 1989. From 1989 to 1994, Kangaroo Island Sealink was owned by the Malaysian company MBF. In 1994 the company was sold to a consortium of staff members and Kangaroo Island residents. SeaLink's two currently operating ferries, ''

Sealion 2000 ''Sealion 2000'' is a vehicular ferry operated by Kangaroo Island SeaLink on the 18 kilometre Cape Jervis to Penneshaw route across Backstairs Passage along with the ''Spirit of Kangaroo Island''. These two ferries provide the main form of transp ...

'' and ''

Spirit of Kangaroo Island ''Spirit of Kangaroo Island'' is a vehicular ferry operated by Kangaroo Island SeaLink on the 18 kilometre Cape Jervis to Penneshaw route across Backstairs Passage along with the ''Sealion 2000''. These two ferries provide the main form of transp ...

'', cross

Backstairs Passage The Backstairs Passage is a strait in South Australia lying between Fleurieu Peninsula on the Australian mainland and Dudley Peninsula on the eastern end of Kangaroo Island. The western edge of the passage is a line from Cape Jervis on Fleurieu ...

from Cape Jervis to

Penneshaw Penneshaw is a township in the Australian state of South Australia located on the northeast coast of the Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island about south of the state capital of Adelaide. It is the island's main ferry port with regular services ...

in about 45 minutes, up to 10 times daily. SeaLink had acquired the previous ferry service founded by Peter March. Its first vessel was ''Philanderer 3'', the first of March's vessels to carry vehicles. In later years, the company operated the ''Island Navigator'' (purchased 1990), also a car carrying ferry, as the designated freight and fuel carrier. SeaLink has outlasted several competing companies since it began operations. Boat Torque, a Western Australian company, operated ''Superflyte'' from 1994 until 1997, whilst Kangaroo Island Ferries had a short-lived venture with ''SeaWay'', from September 2004 until February 2005. Under different ownership, ''SeaWay'' recommenced services in August 2007, before its operations were suspended in May 2008 and an administrator appointed shortly thereafter. SeaLink holds a virtual monopoly on oversea transport, primarily due to its long term lease of the Cape Jervis berth. SeaLink's agreement with the

Government of South Australia The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...

, expiring in 2024, precludes other operators from utilising the Cape Jervis facility for one hour before, and one hour after any scheduled SeaLink service. Kangaroo Island residents have expressed displeasure with the exclusive arrangement granted to SeaLink. SeaLink had state government subsidies with respect to its freight charges, which ended in 2003.

References

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External links

Official SeaLink Kangaroo Island site
Ferry companies of South Australia Kangaroo Island 1989 establishments in Australia Backstairs Passage