StraitNZ, formerly Strait Shipping, is a
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
transport firm that operates
roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, Trailer (vehicle), trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their ...
freight and passenger shipping across
Cook Strait
Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North Island, North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, ...
between
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...
in the
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
and
Picton in the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
, and trucking and logistics services across New Zealand.
Originally a freight-only service, passenger services commenced in 2002 and operate under the Bluebridge brand.
As of 2021, Bluebridge holds 56% of the market for vehicle freight and 31% of the market for passenger services across Cook Strait.
The company was acquired on 31 March 2022 by
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...
Infrastructure Partners.
History
The company has its origins in Otorohanga Transport, founded by Jim Barker and Dennis Dow in 1963.
Inter-island ferry operations began in 1992 as Strait Shipping Limited,
[ as a way for Barker to provide more affordable inter-island ferry services for his trucking group. Ferries between the North and South Islands of New Zealand were then monopolised by the Interisland Line, owned by the then state-owned enterprise New Zealand Rail (privatised in 1993 and renamed Tranz Rail in 1995). As of 2022, the two companies still hold a duopoly on interisland ferry services.
As well as operating across the ]Cook Strait
Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North Island, North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, ...
between Wellington and Picton, Strait Shipping has in the past also operated freight shipping between Wellington and Napier, also in the North Island, and Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
and Lyttelton in the South Island.
Bluebridge was launched as the passenger service brand of Strait Shipping in 2003.
In 2016, Strait Shipping was sold to Australian-based Champ Private Equity Group. At the same time, Champ Group also purchased trucking companies Freight Lines and Streamline Freight, which had both been separately owned by the Barker family. At the time, the trucking and ferry companies owned by the Barker family were estimated to employ around 750 people.
On 29 March 2018 Strait Shipping Limited was renamed StraitNZ, with passenger services continuing to operate under the Bluebridge brand. Sister companies Freight Lines and Streamline were rebranded as "StraitNZ Linehaul" and "StraitNZ Freight Forwarding" respectively. That year, a 25% stake in the company was acquired by Macquarie.
In December 2021, the StraitNZ Group was sold by Champ Private Equity and Macquarie to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, for a reported sale price of NZ$500 million. The acquisition was completed in March 2022.
As of 2021, StraitNZ’s Bluebridge ferry unit was reported to have a 56% market share for Cook Strait
Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North Island, North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, ...
vehicle freight, and a 31% market share for passenger services. The remaining share is held by Interislander
Interislander is a road and rail ferry service across New Zealand's Cook Strait, between Wellington in the North Island and Picton, New Zealand, Picton in the South Island. It is owned and operated by state-owned rail operator KiwiRail. Three ...
, a subsidiary of New Zealand Government-owned KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise (SOE) responsible for rail operations in New Zealand and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered at 604 Great South Road, Ellerslie, New Zealand, Ell ...
.
Wellington ferry terminal redevelopment
In 2020, following two years of discussion with stakeholders, Greater Wellington Regional Council
Wellington Regional Council, branded as Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), is the regional council overseeing the Wellington Region of New Zealand's lower North Island. It is responsible for Public transport in the Wellington Region, p ...
announced that it had chosen Kaiwharawhara
Kaiwharawhara is an urban seaside suburb of Wellington in New Zealand's North Island. It is located north of the centre of the city on the western shore of Wellington Harbour, where the Kaiwharawhara Stream reaches the sea from its headwaters ...
as its preferred site for a new ferry terminal. The terminal will be built on land owned by KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise (SOE) responsible for rail operations in New Zealand and operates inter-island ferries. Trading as KiwiRail and headquartered at 604 Great South Road, Ellerslie, New Zealand, Ell ...
, CentrePort and the NZ Transport Agency
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), superseded by is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing, and administering the New Zealand st ...
. Interislander plans to introduce new hybrid electric ferries that are longer than those currently in operation. The new terminal will be able to accommodate the larger ferries and will replace the two separate terminals currently used by StraitNZ and the Interislander. In addition, CentrePort will be able to make changes to the layout of its other port operations. The plan includes a wharf about long, a ferry terminal building, changes to road, rail and pedestrian access, and marshalling and loading areas. The panel that approved the project called it the biggest rail capital project since World War 2.
Site preparation began, but the cost of the project increased significantly. In December 2023, the new Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, declined extra funding to KiwiRail for its proposed new ferries and terminal infrastructure, and as of January 2024 the project is stalled while the parties involved consider their options.
Fleet
Current fleet
Historic fleet
References
External links
StraitNZ website
Bluebridge website
2022 mergers and acquisitions
{{New Zealand inter-island ferries
Ferry companies of New Zealand
Companies based in Wellington
Cook Strait Ferry
Picton, New Zealand
Transport companies of New Zealand
New Zealand companies established in 1992
Transport companies established in 1992
Morgan Stanley