 | |
| Founded | 26 January 1970 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Trevor Haworth |
| Headquarters | Darling Harbour, , Australia |
Area served | Sydney Harbour |
| Services | Restaurant, river/harbour cruise & ferry operator |
| Parent | SeaLink Travel Group |
| Website | www.captaincook.com.au |
Captain Cook Cruises is an Australian cruise operator. As of January 2018, the company operated 21 vessels on Sydney Harbour, providing a range of Government contracted and non-contracted Ferry services, Sightseeing, Dining and Charter Cruises.
Captain Cook Cruises commenced operating on 26 January 1970 on Port Jackson, Sydney with the Captain Cook, a modified 1943 Fairmile B motor launch. The business was founded by Trevor Haworth taking its name from James Cook who led the first European contact with the East Coast of Australia in 1770. [1] [2]
Initially operating charters, on 1 May 1970 regular cruises began operating from Circular Quay to Middle Harbour. In November 1971 a second cruise commenced via the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers as far as the Gladesville Bridge. [1]
In August 1975, the custom-built Captain Cook II built by Carrington Slipways, Tomago was commissioned. In August 1978, the Lady Geradline was built by Millkraft Shipyards, Brisbane. This was followed by City of Sydney built by Sims Engineering, Port Chalmers in 1981. [3] In 1978 the original Northbridge marina was sold with a new facility purchased in Neutral Bay. [1]
In May 1984, the John Cadman Cruising Restaurant business was purchased. In 1987, Captain Cook Cruises began operating cruises on the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater with the Lady Hawkesbury. [4] In November 1987, the Hegarty Ferries business was purchased from Stannard Bros, primarily to give Captain Cook Cruises exclusive access to wharf 6 at Circular Quay. It operated services to Jeffrey Street, Milsons Point and McMahons Point. [3] In May 1988, the business of Murray River Developments was purchased with the Murray River Queen and Murray Princess on the Murray River and the Brisbane Explorer on the Brisbane River . [1]
In 1991, operations began on the Great Barrier Reef in a joint venture with Qantas. [3] [5] The MV Reef Endeavour was ordered, however problems during its construction resulted in the Lady Hawkesbury being transferred from the Hawkesbury River to the Great Barrier Reef as the Reef Escape in July 1992. In turn the Brisbane Explorer was transferred to the Hawkesbury as the Hawkesbury Explorer II. The Reef Endeavour eventually entered service in 1995. [1]
In 1992, the company began operations in Fiji, purchasing Tivua Island, located 18 km off the coast of Port Denarau. Sailing Day Cruises were commenced to the island. Reef Escape was relocated to Fiji from the Great Barrier Reef in 1995 and began accommodated cruises through the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands [ citation needed ].
On 7 January 2003, the former Hegarty routes ceased. [6] In November 2005 Matilda Cruises was acquired from Amalgamated Holdings Limited (now Event Hospitality and Entertainment), with 11 vessels. [7] [8] In 2011, Captain Cook Cruises was purchased by the SeaLink Travel Group. [9] [10] [11]
Captain Cook Cruises operate ferry services connecting Sydney Harbour, Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Circular Quay, Watsons Bay, Manly, the Lane Cove River and White Bay.
The Shark Island and Zoo Express are part of the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) services which also call at Watsons Bay and Manly. These services will resume during the school holidays on 19 December 2020 after the COVID-19 Pandemic. [12]
Resumption dates for the City Loop (Darling Harbour/Barnagaroo), Luna Park, and Fort Denison services are not yet known. [13]
| Name | Builder | Year built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Cook I | 1943 | Fairmile B motor launch formerly named Daydream II, sold to Fiji as Stardust II | |
| Captain Cook II | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1975 | |
| Corsair | purchased second hand 1976 | ||
| Lady Geraldine | Millkraft Shipyards, Hemmant | 1978 | named after Trevor Haworth's wife |
| City of Sydney | Sims Engineering, Port Chalmers | 1981 | |
| John Cadman | 1970 | purchased with John Cadman Cruising Restaurant business May 1984, rebuilt from burnt out hull of Lady Scott built for Sydney Ferries Limited in 1915, sold as Harbour Queen | |
| John Cadman II | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1986 | |
| Leura | purchased with Hegarty Ferries business November 1987, sold 2003, named after Leura | ||
| Seeka Star | 1940 | purchased with Hegarty Ferries business November 1987, sold 2003 | |
| Twin Star | 1972 | purchased with Hegarty Ferries business November 1987, sold 2003 | |
| Lady Hawkesbury | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1987 | transferred from Hawkesbury River to Great Barrier Reef and renamed Reef Escape July 1992 |
| Murray River Queen | Hindmarsh Island | 1974 | purchased with Murray River Developments business May 1988, sold 1993 |
| Murray Princess | Hindmarsh Island | 1986 [18] | purchased with Murray River Developments business May 1988 |
| Brisbane Explorer | purchased with Murray River Developments business May 1988, transferred from Brisbane River to Hawkesbury River and renamed Hawkesbury Explorer II | ||
| John Cadman III | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1989 | |
| Captain Cook III | Wavemaster, Fremantle | 1990 | |
| Reef Endeavour | Government Shipyard, Suva | 1995 | |
| Sydney 2000 | Austal, Perth | 1998 | |
| Alice | Norman R Wright & Sons, Bulimba | 1996 | purchased with Matilda Cruises business November 2005 [19] |
| Jillian | Norman R Wright & Sons, Bulimba | 1996 | purchased with Matilda Cruises business November 2005 [19] |
| Megan | Norman R Wright & Sons, Bulimba | 1996 | purchased with Matilda Cruises business November 2005 [19] |
| Elizabeth Cook | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2013 | named after Elizabeth Cook [20] |
| Mary Reibey | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2014 | named after Mary Reibey [21] |
| Annabelle Rankin | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2014 | named after Annabelle Rankin [22] |
| Violet McKenzie | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2015 | named after Violet McKenzie [23] |
| Capricorn Sunrise | Aluminium Boats Australia, Hemmant | 2011 | transferred from Gladstone November 2016 [24] |
| Cockle Bay | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2016 | named after Cockle Bay [25] Leased to RiverCity Ferries together with Blackwattle Bay, White Bay, Pyrmont Bay and Eleanor (the last three not listed here), from November 2020, to operate KittyCat CityHopper and CityFerry services on the Brisbane River. [26] [27] |
| Blackwattle Bay | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2016 | named after Blackwattle Bay [25] |
| Nancy Wake | Aluminium Marine, Thornlands | 2017 | named after Nancy Wake [28] |
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea. It is the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The location of the first European settlement and colony on the Australian mainland, Port Jackson has continued to play a key role in the history and development of Sydney.
King Street Wharf is a mixed-use tourism, commercial, residential, retail and maritime development on the eastern shore of Darling Harbour, an inlet of Sydney Harbour, Australia. Located on the western side of the city's central business district, the complex served as a maritime industrial area in the early and mid 20th century. It was redeveloped as part of extensive urban renewal projects around Sydney Harbour in the 1980s and 90s. The complex is host to a cluster of nine wharves, with the first two wharves currently in use by private ferry operator Captain Cook Cruises and a third decommissioned by Sydney Ferries.
Sydney Ferries is the public transport ferry network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales. Services operate on Sydney Harbour and the connecting Parramatta River. The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal ticketing system. In 2017–18, 15.3 million passenger journeys were made on the network.
Transport in Sydney is provided by an extensive network of public transport operating modes including metro, train, bus, ferry and light rail, as well as an expansive network of roadways, cycleways and airports. According to the 2006 census, in terms of travel to work or study Sydney has the highest rate of public transport usage among the Australian capital cities of 26.3% with more than 80% of weekday trips to/from Central Sydney being made by public transport. According to the New South Wales State Plan, the state has Australia's largest public transport system. The public transport network is regulated by Transport for NSW.
Circular Quay ferry wharf is a complex of wharves at Circular Quay, on Sydney Cove, that serves as the hub for the Sydney Harbour ferry network.
Matilda Cruises operated commuter ferry and cruise services on Port Jackson in Sydney.
Manly ferry services operate on Sydney Harbour connecting the Sydney suburb of Manly with Circular Quay in the CBD, a journey of seven nautical miles.
Double Bay ferry services connect wharves in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs with Circular Quay by commuter ferry. The services are provided by Sydney Ferries, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The route is coloured dark green on the current Sydney Ferries network map. SuperCats are the primary vessel on the route with some Double Bay services operated by First Fleet ferries.
Birchgrove ferry wharf is located on Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Birchgrove. It is served by Sydney Ferries Cockatoo Island services operating between Circular Quay and Cockatoo Island. The single wharf is served by First Fleet, SuperCat and Emerald class ferries.
Bayview Park ferry wharf is a commuter wharf located in the Sydney suburb of Concord, New South Wales, on Hen & Chicken Bay. It is situated adjacent the namesake Bayview Park reserve, and upon the site of the historical Burwood ferry wharf, where Canadian exiles from the 19th century Lower Canada Rebellion landed in Sydney. Bayview Park was originally serviced by a Matilda Cruises route, before being included on Sydney Ferries' Parramatta River service in 2006, after a brief one-year service by Palm Beach Ferries. Services to the wharf were decommissioned by Sydney Ferries in October 2013, alongside Balmain West after patronage declined to a weekly average of 28 passengers. No operators currently service the wharf, although the structure still remains, with plans to return private ferry services to the wharf as part of a redevelopment project for a factory in eastern Concord.
Greenwich Point ferry wharf is located on Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Greenwich. It served by Sydney Ferries Cockatoo Island services operating between Circular Quay and Cockatoo Island. The single wharf is served by First Fleet and Emerald class ferries. It is also served by limited school term services by Captain Cook Cruises services to Hunters Hill.
Manly Wharf is a heritage-listed passenger terminal wharf and recreational area located at West Esplanade and serving Manly, a Sydney suburb in the Northern Beaches Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. Since the 1850s, it has served as the Manly embarkation and disembarkation point for the Manly to Sydney ferry service.
Sydney Fast Ferries operated high-speed ferry services on Port Jackson between Circular Quay and Manly from April 2010 until March 2015.
Manly Fast Ferry is an Australian ferry operator that services the areas of Botany Bay and Port Jackson.
Barangaroo ferry wharf is a ferry wharf located on the eastern side of Darling Harbour, in Sydney, Australia. The wharf is the major public transport link of the Barangaroo precinct, situated west of the Sydney central business district. The complex consists two wharves, with provision for a third wharf in the future. It is serviced by Sydney Ferries' F3 Paramatta River and F4 Pyrmont Bay services. It opened on 26 June 2017.
The Pyrmont Bay ferry service, officially known as F4 Pyrmont Bay, is a commuter ferry service in Sydney, New South Wales. Part of the Sydney Ferries network, it is operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries and services the Lavender Bay and Darling Harbour areas. It began operation on 25 October 2020, and replaced the western half of the F4 Cross Harbour ferry service. Emerald-class ferries and SuperCat ferries operate the service.
Watsons Bay ferry wharf is located on the southern side of Sydney Harbour serving the Sydney suburb of Watsons Bay.
The White Bay Cruise Terminal is a terminal for cruise ships on Sydney Harbour. The terminal is located at the eastern end of the White Bay wharves, on the northern shore of White Bay. It opened on 15 April 2013 as a replacement for Wharf 8 on Darling Harbour which closed to make way for the Barangaroo development.
The Cross Harbour ferry service, officially known as F4 Cross Harbour, was a commuter ferry service in Sydney, New South Wales. Part of the Sydney Ferries network, it was operated by Transdev Sydney Ferries and serviced the Darling Harbour, Lavender Bay, Rose Bay and Watsons Bay areas.
Sydney Harbour ferry services date back to the first years of Sydney's European settlement. Slow and sporadic boats ran along the Parramatta River from Sydney to Parramatta and served the agricultural settlements in between. By the mid-1830s, speculative ventures established regular services. From the late-nineteenth century the North Shore developed rapidly. A rail connection to Milsons Point took alighting ferry passengers up the North Shore line to Hornsby, New South Wales via North Sydney. Without a bridge connection, increasingly large fleets of steamers serviced the cross harbour routes and in the early twentieth century, Sydney Ferries Limited was the largest ferry operator in the world.
Media related to Captain Cook Cruises at Wikimedia Commons
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