Pontoon will allow Captain Cook Cruises to offer ferry service from city to White Bay Cruise Terminal
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Sydney Harbour in Australia has built and christened its first mobile passenger terminal pontoon, Beatrice Bush.
Designed and constructed in Australia, the 16m pontoon was officially launched by Father Michael Ryan and Malu Barrios, general manager of Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island.
Local ferry operator Captain Cook Cruises plans to use the pontoon to access areas of the harbour without passenger wharf so it can offer a charter ferry service from the centre of Sydney to White Bay Cruise Terminal. The 15-minute ferry service will provide a quick transfer option for passengers and crew arriving or departing on any cruise ships berthed at the cruise terminal.
“White Bay Cruise Terminal has always been hard to access for interstate, international and even local passengers,” said Anthony Haworth, general manager of Captain Cook Cruises. “The cruise market has been crying out for a ferry service for a long time, but one has not been possible due to the lack of docking facilities for ferries. With the construction of Beatrice Bush complete we can now not only operate our convenient charter Ferry Service from the city direct to White Bay but use Beatrice Bush all over the harbour.”
Pending final approval from the New South Wales State Government, the ferry service will start in August 2015. Captain Cook Cruises will then release timetables and details about exact departure points.