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Cook Strait’s youngest ferry arrives to fanfare in Wellington

Thursday, 3 July 2025

Bluebridge’s new ferry Livia sailed into Wellington harbour escorted by tugs.
Bluebridge’s new ferry Livia sailed into Wellington harbour escorted by tugs.

The youngest ferry to ply the Cook Strait has arrived in Wellington to a salute from water cannons.

The Livia, built in 2008, turned 17 this year ‒ making it the youngest public ferry currently working the Wellington to Picton route. It was accompanied into the harbour by the city’s tugboats and sprayed with water by the tugs in a ceremonial welcome about 8am on Thursday.

The ferry, which can accommodate 500 passengers, is expected to start plying Cook Strait in late July and will replace Strait Feronia later in the year.

The Livia arrives in Wellington on Thursday morning.
The Livia arrives in Wellington on Thursday morning.

It comes as the publicly owned Interislander fleet shrinks to two with the Kaiārahi heading for dry dock in Singapore. When it returns, the Aratere will be retired from service.

The ship left dry dock in Denmark in mid-May before calling in at Portsmouth, in the UK, and sailing on to New Zealand via the Panama Canal.

StraitNZ chief executive Shane McMahon said it was smooth sailing for the ship on its way across two oceans to New Zealand.

“Livia delivers an increase in both freight and passenger capacity, and we’re very pleased to have secured a vessel of this quality and suitability for Cook Strait conditions.”

Built in 2008, its original name was Norman Voyager and it made its maiden voyage that same year between Rosslare, Ireland and the French port of Le Havre.

It was operated by a number of ferry lines until it was bought in 2021 by Stena Line to sail the Baltic Sea. Bluebridge then bought the ship in March.

Livia leaving drydock in Fayard, Odense in Denmark.

WellingtonNZ chief executive Mark Oldershaw said the Livia was a “vital addition that will strengthen our transport network and help ensure resilience for the country’s most important ferry route”.

Livia is a sister ship to StraitNZ’s Connemara, which began service on Cook Strait in 2023. The new ferry will take on the Connemara's schedule when it goes into dry dock.

Livia Facts