Refurbished Aratika in luxury class

Press, 18 December 1976, Page 24

Refurbished Aratika in luxury class

Tn spending SSM converting the Cook Strait ferry Aratika from a freight-only to a freight-and-passenger ferry, the Railways Department has bought a problem: How will the department ever be able to persuade passengers to sail in the austerely-appointed Aramoana and Aranui after word spreads of the comfort and near-luxury of the Aratika? About the only facility missing on this cruisetype vessel, is a swimming pool. There is an enclosed sun deck, a discotheque with dance floor and taped stereo music, a fully-equipped children’s play area, a self-service cafeteria, and four beau-tifully-appointed lounges. Public walkways and the lounges and foyer are now carpeted, and the lounges are designated as smoking or non-smoking areas. The department is well aware of the disparity in facilities in these vessels. These will probably be rectified in the future as the Aramoana and Aranui reach refit age. Indeed, a high-ranking department officer has said that the Aramoana will be refitted within a year. She will be refurbished, upgraded, and probably altered internally here and there to extend her passenger facilities. The refit is expected to take about six months. Aranui, only slightly younger, will be refurbished when her time comes.

Captain Laurie Collins, who brought the Aratika back from the Hong Kong United Dockyards, is pleased with the converted freighter. He said she has yet to be tested in a Cook Strait gale — the vessel had a very calm passage back to New Zealand — but he was confident that the additional 800 tonnes added to the vessel will not adversely affect her performances.

He had had no experience of Aratika before she was converted, and so was unable to compare

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BARRY SIMPSON

her performance and manoeuvrability. He said that the addition of so much superstructure was quite easily counter-balanced by water ballast. Structurally, the ferry has had two full-length new decks added, two new decks half the length of the vessel, an extended bridge front, and an entirely new funnel.

The vessel, which first went into New Zealand service in 1974, can now accommodate 70 cars on two new car decks, and 800 passengers. A separate deck will take 50 railway waggons. At times of peak holiday traffic this deck will also accommodate caravans and vehicles whose height would bar them from entry to the very low-ceilinged car decks.

Obviously, a great deal of thought and effort has been put into the facilities

for passenger comfort. The decor — the work of a Chinese interior decorator, Mrs Lee — is bright and tasteful without being garish. The seating is soft and very comfortable.

Seating in the stern television and observation lounge (92) is aircraft type. The seats recline, there is ample leg room, and the seat covering is soft, orange material.

There are seats for 150 in the self-service cafeteria, 116 in the family lounge, 70 in the smoking lounge, 80 in the bar

lounge, 48 in the sheltered sun lounge, 40 on the stern sun seek, and 44 in the discotheque.

Unlike the other two passenger ferries, where tickets for meals have to be obtained from the purser’s office, the Aratika’s cafeteria is self-service, with payment to a member of the purser’s staff at the end of the line. Two cabins are available to the public on the vessel.

About the only connection Maoridom has with the Aratika is her name (“A direct path”). Much of the decorative panel works on doors, around the bar in the bar lounge and on the walls, is obviously of Chinese origin. It is very beautiful.

The additions have their share of New Zealand content. The carpet was made in New Zealand. At the moment, nobody is too

sure how this carpeting experiment will work out. It looks beautiful — but the stewards, in particular, are wondering how it will stand up to the effects of Cook Strait’s rollers on the passengers’ internal system. As one steward said, only time and the conditions in the Strait will tell. In the meantime the stewards feel that the carpet will be much easier to keep clean. The children’s play area should be popular with the younger passengers. It is well-equipped, and there is seating nearby where parents can watch. A stewardess will be on hand to oversee the children, but the ultimate responsibility for the children will remain the parents.

The foyer, too, is a big, bright airy place, containing the purser’s office, a shop, and about 35 Finnish (and very comfortable) easy chairs. From the foyer to the lounge decks is a moving stairway which can be operated to run either from or to the foyer.

Only one criticism: the signs, above doors and on walls, with lettering no bigger than about 2 cm, are far too small. This small defect, however, is trifling in the context of the huge conversion done so well by the Hong Kong firm.

The vessel will go into service on Monday. She will leave Wellington at 7.20 a.m. and 4 p.m., and Picton at 11.40 a.m. and 8.20 p.m. daily, except Thursdays.