By
Rebecca Gibson |
Port Arthur, located in Tasmania, Australia, has officially opened its new cruise ship tender jetty, which increases its berthing capacity significantly.
Inaugurated by Federal Liberal MP for Lyons, Eric Hutchinson, the jetty has been extended to enable two cruise ships and the ferry to tender at the same time. Previously, the port’s jetty only had one berth that was shared with the ferry operating the Historic Site’s harbour cruise, which meant that some operators did not call during their itineraries.
“We have had new bookings from cruise lines that have never previously visited Port Arthur Historic Site, effectively adding a day to their Tasmanian itineraries,” said McVilly. “This is a significant and strategic piece of tourism infrastructure for Tasmania that will deliver benefits across the region. We are delighted to have been able to access the TIRF to help install it.”
The extension was supported by the Commonwealth Government’s Tourism Regional Infrastructure Fund (TIRF) grant with matching funding from the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority. The new jetty was first used when P&O Cruises’ Pacific Pearl visited the port on 27 April 2014.
“Tenders tied up and were disembarking passengers within about 90 seconds, which is around about a fifth of the time previously taken on the shared jetty,” said Anne McVilly, director of tourism operations at Port Arthur Historic Site.
Popular with cruise operators due to its close proximity to the Tasmanian city of Hobart and its deep-water anchorage facilities, Port Arthur was originally used to transport goods and convicts. In general, cruise ships dock for a day on their way to or from Hobart, enabling passengers to visit Port Arthur and its surroundings.