Fullers Group
- Not to be confused with Fullers Bay of Islands
| Private | |
| Industry | Ferry & tourism company |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Owner | InMotion Group |
| Website | http://www.fullers.co.nz/ |
Fullers Group Limited is a ferry and tourism company in Auckland, New Zealand.[1] It operates in the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour. Fullers Group is the latest in a long line of almost continuous harbour and gulf ferry operations based in Auckland since the 1870s.
Services
Fullers run ferries from the Auckland Ferry Terminal in Quay Street, Downtown Auckland. Fullers operate to the North Shore suburbs of Devonport, Bayswater, Birkenhead, Northcote and Stanley Bay, as well as Half Moon Bay near the eastern suburb of Howick, and Waiheke Island.
Fullers also operate tourism / excursion ferry services to the Hauraki Gulf islands of Rangitoto Island and Great Barrier Island (seasonal). Services to Rangitoto are via Devonport, and Fullers also operate a Half Moon Bay – Waiheke service. For the tourism services, two new catamaran ferries, Adventurer and Wanderer, were purchased in 2006 and 2007 for NZ$3 million and NZ$2 million respectively. These vessels will also assist on the company's main ferry routes during peak hours.[1]
Fullers has recently increased prices despite declines in international and domestic fuel prices – and despite that many services are subsidised by tax payers via Auckland Transport public transport policies.
Vessels
The vessels of Fullers include:
- Adventurer – catamaran
- Harbour Cat – catamaran, originally named Pakatoa Cat
- JetRaider – mono-hull built in 1990 and used as a standby vessel for when breakdowns happen – also does the summer services to Great Barrier Island
- Quickcat – catamaran built in 1987 and runs the Auckland–Waiheke service
- Quickcat II – catamaran built in 1993
- Seaflyte – catamaran built in 1993
- Kea – longitudinally symmetrical catamaran built in 1988 and used on the Auckland CBD – Devonport service
- Starflyte – catamaran built in 1999
- Superflyte – catamaran built in 1995 and operates services to Waiheke Island and (seasonally) to Great Barrier Island
- Tiger Cat – catamaran
- Wanderer – catamaran
- Takahē - catamaran, joined fleet in 2014
- Te Kotuku - catamaran built by Q-West, 2014
Corporate information
In 2007, Fullers carried around 4.2 million passengers, on a total of 42,010 sailings (an average of almost 100 passengers per journey).[2][3] For the transport, it was fortunate to receive tax payer subsidies of around 84c per passenger and journey (except on the Waiheke Island service). Fullers recently increased prices despite a drop in diesel prices - making this one of the most expensive ferry trips in the world. Auckland subsidies are half the subsidy of Brisbane ferry operators (who only have a river to cross) and only a seventh of the subsidies paid for ferry public transport in Sydney.[2] In April 2009, Fullers' Auckland ferry services were sold by Infratil to Brian Souter's Highland Global Transport.[4]
Awards
In 2009, Fullers Ferries received a Cycle Friendly Award from Cycling Advocates' Network for the best cycle-friendly commitment by a business in New Zealand.
See also
References
- 1 2 Dearnaley, Mathew (30 October 2007). "$2m cat for Birkenhead commuters". The New Zealand Herald. p. A8. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- 1 2 "Fullers floats ferry services as solution to traffic woes". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 28 February 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ↑ Fullers Today (from the official company website)
- ↑ Radio New Zealand Morning Report, 7 April 2009
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fullers Group. |
- Fullers Auckland (official company website)
- Fullerswatch - Waiheke Island watchdog site on the Fullers transport monopoly to that island