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Aratika (ferry)
MV ''Aratika'' was a roll-on/roll-off train ferry that operated on the ''Interislander'' between Wellington and Picton, New Zealand, Picton in New Zealand from 1974 until 1999. According to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, Aratika is a Māori-language word meaning direct path. History ''Aratika'' was built by Chantiers Dubigeon in France for the New Zealand Railways Department to operate between Wellington and Picton, New Zealand, Picton. She was built to carry rail freight only. Launched in November 1973, the ship arrived in Wellington in June 1974. In 1976 she was converted by Hongkong United Dockyards to carry passengers and private vehicles as well as railway wagons. This increased her passenger capacity from 10 to 840, and the car space from four to 70. During her 25 years of service, the vessel completed 27,265 crossings and traveled an overall distance of . In 1999, she was sold to MBRS Lines in the Philippines and served as MV ''Virgin Mary'' until 2008, when she ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour ( ), officially called Wellington Harbour / Port Nicholson, is a large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. The harbour entrance is from Cook Strait. Central Wellington is located on parts of the western and southern sides of the harbour, and the suburban area of Lower Hutt is to the north and east. The harbour area bounded by a line between Pencarrow Head to Petone foreshore, was officially named Port Nicholson until it assumed its current dual name in 1984. Toponymy The earliest known Māori name for the area, ''Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui'', is derived from Māori legend and translates literally as "the head of Māui's fish". ''Te Whanganui-a-Tara'', another Māori name for the area, translates literally as "the great harbour of Tara". It is believed to refer to Tara, a son of the Polynesian explorer Whātonga, who was sent down from the Māhia Peninsula by his father to explore southern lands for their people to se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
