ARAMOANA TO MAKE DOUBLE TRIPS TWICE A WEEK

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30153, 10 June 1963, Page 10

ARAMOANA TO MAKE DOUBLE TRIPS TWICE A WEEK

The rail-road ferry Aramoana, started her first annual survey on Saturday. When she returns to service on June 17 she will start making an extra return trip cm two days a week. This will be in addition to the regular daily return trip six days a week. The vessel has previously done double trips when the demand has necessitated it, for instance at holiday periods. The additional trips will be night sailings and will mean a total of eight return trips a week, Monday to Saturday. Since its inception last August, the service has been well patronised although at ocher holiday periods there is usually room for extra passengers. At Christmas, Easter and other holiday periods the maximum of about 800 passengers has been carried. Many passengers are now using btis services in conjunction with the Aramoana. Ln August, when the vessel

went into service, Newman Ltd., started special bus services to link with the vessel. This service has been particularly well patronised and is regarded by the company as a success. About 2000 persons have used the service since its inception. It is estimated that the majority of the passengers travelling by bus from Picton to Christchurch are tourists who also take the opportunity to see the country. By making use of the bus service and the Aramoana tourists can leave Wellington at 10 a.m„ spend three hours 20 minutes travelling the 51 nautical miles between the two ports, see much of the country between Picton and

Christchurch, and arrive in the city at 7.45 p.m. It is thought that a much smaller proportion of the persons using the service in the other direction, from Christchurch to Wellington, are tourists. The bus which connects

with the Aramoana from Christchurch also goes on to Nelson, arriving there at 3.30 p.m. It connects with a bus which goes on to Takaka. arriving there at 6.15 p.m. The service thus also gives a faster freight service to Nelson. The passengers who use the Aramoana, as distinct from those shipping cars on the vessel, include many who travel from Wellington to Picton and back on excursions. They leave Wellington about 10 am. and arrive back in time for the evening meal During the voyage they have a good opportunity to see the scenerey as of the 51 miles making up the trip only 26 are in the open sea. At Picton turn-round is rapid. The whole operation takes only an hour, and often less In this time three rakes of railway rolling stock, numerous cars and sometimes motor-cycles and semiarticulated vehicles are unloaded and others loaded in their place.