Ferry sailings cancelled

Press, 5 March 1987, Page 1

Ferry sailings cancelled

All Cook Strait ferry sailings after the first crossings each way were cancelled yesterday morning until further notice because of galeforce winds.

The Arahanga and the Aritika were left berthed at Wellington and the Arahura at Picton.

The Arahanga made her scheduled sailing from Picton at 7.40 a.m. but was late arriving at Wellington. The Arahura was late arriving at Picton after leaving Wellington at 8 a.m.

While the ferry sailings were cancelled and some inter-island Air New Zealand flights delayed by the weather, conditions in Christchurch and Canterbury improved.

The senior public relations officer of the Railways Corporation in Wellington, Mr Bill Hopper, said yesterday that the sailings had been cancelled in the interest of passenger safety and comfort.

Flights between Christchurch and Wellington were disrupted after the high winds closed Wellington Airport to Friendship flights for the day. Some flights were delayed or cancelled after 2 p.m. while other services were diverted to Palmerston North.

The cancellation of the ferry sailings was unlikely to affect vegetable and fruit supplies in Canterbury, said a spokesman for Market Gardeners, Ltd, Mr Ron Bainbridge.

Shipments of other fruit, including bananas, sailed direct from Auckland to Lyttelton and were unlikely to be affected by the storm. River conditions in Canterbury have improved, the North Canterbury Catchment Board reported yesterday afternoon. Levels in the Ashley, and Selwyn rivers were still up but falling. The Selwyn River had peaked only 30cm below the 1986 maximum level.