1962 Picton ferry Aramoana enters service

The country's first roll-on roll-off (RO-RO) ferry, New Zealand Railways’ Aramoana entered service between Wellington and Picton on 11 August 1962. Crossing Cook Strait now involved cars and rail freight wagons being driven on and off at either end of the voyage.

The Aramoana’s influence was immediate. In its last year of service, the Union Steam Ship Company’s former Wellington–Picton ferry Tamahine had carried 60,000 passengers, 11,000 cars and 14,000 tonnes of cargo. In its first year, the Aramoana carried 207,000 passengers, 46,000 cars and 181,000 tonnes of cargo.

Since the 1960s, five other Cook Strait ferries have carried the ‘Ara’ prefix: Aranui, Arahanga, Aratika, Arahura and Aratere. These ships – and more recent competitors – have formed a ‘floating bridge’, linking the North and South islands’ road and rail networks in a truly national transport system.

Image: the Aramoana (NZ Maritime Record)