StraitNZ

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StraitNZ Limited
FormerlyStrait Shipping
Bluebridge
IndustryPassenger and freight shipping, freight forwarding and logistics
PredecessorStrait Shipping, Streamline Freight, Freight Lines
Founded1992
FounderJim Barker and Dennis Dow
Headquarters Wellington, New Zealand
Area served
 New Zealand
RevenueNZ$175 million (2021)
NZ$45 million (2021)
Number of employees
500 (2021)
Parent Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (2022–present)
Subsidiaries Bluebridge
StraitNZ Freight Forwarding
StraitNZ Linehaul
Website www.straitnz.co.nz

StraitNZ, formerly Strait Shipping, is a New Zealand transport firm that operates roll-on/roll-off freight and passenger shipping across Cook Strait between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island, and trucking and logistics services across New Zealand. [1] Originally a freight-only service, passenger services commenced in 2002 and operate under the Bluebridge brand. [2] [3] As of 2021, Bluebridge holds 56% of the market for vehicle freight and 31% of the market for passenger services across Cook Strait. [4] The company was acquired on 31 March 2022 by Morgan Stanley [5]

Contents

History

The company has its origins in Otorohanga Transport, founded by Jim Barker and Dennis Dow in 1963. [6]

Inter-island ferry operations began in 1992 as Strait Shipping Limited, [3] as a way for Barker to provide more affordable inter-island ferry services for his trucking group. Ferries between the North and South Islands of New Zealand were then monopolised by the Interisland Line, owned by the then state-owned enterprise New Zealand Rail (privatised in 1993 and renamed Tranz Rail in 1995). As of 2022, the two companies still hold a duopoly on interisland ferry services.

As well as operating across the Cook Strait between Wellington and Picton, Strait Shipping has in the past also operated freight shipping between Wellington and Napier, also in the North Island, and Nelson and Lyttelton in the South Island.

Bluebridge was launched as the passenger service brand of Strait Shipping in 2003. [7]

In 2016, Strait Shipping was sold to Australian-based Champ Private Equity Group. [8] [7] At the same time, Champ Group also purchased trucking companies Freight Lines and Streamline Freight, which had both been separately owned by the Barker family. [7] At the time, the trucking and ferry companies owned by the Barker family were estimated to employ around 750 people.

On 29 March 2018 Strait Shipping Limited was renamed StraitNZ, [9] with passenger services continuing to operate under the Bluebridge brand. [1] Sister companies Freight Lines and Streamline [7] were rebranded as "StraitNZ Linehaul" and "StraitNZ Freight Forwarding" [1] respectively. That year, a 25% stake in the company was acquired by Macquarie.

In December 2021, the StraitNZ Group was sold by Champ Private Equity and Macquarie to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, for a reported sale price of NZ$500 million. [10] The acquisition was completed in March 2022.

As of 2021, StraitNZ’s Bluebridge ferry unit was reported to have a 56% market share for Cook Strait vehicle freight, and a 31% market share for passenger services. The remaining share is held by Interislander, a subsidiary of New Zealand Government-owned KiwiRail. [4]

Fleet

Current

NameImageShipyardLaunchedEntered servicePort of registryTonnageNotes
Connemara StraitNZ Connemara.jpg Flag of Italy.svg Cantiere Navale Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy 20072023 Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg Nassau, Bahamas 27,414 GT [11]
Livia Stena Livia - Stena Line (51132114355).jpg Flag of Italy.svg Cantiere Navale Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy 20082025 [12]

Civil Ensign of the Bahamas.svg Nassau, Bahamas

26,904 GT [13]

Past

NameImageShipyardLaunchedEntered serviceRetiredTonnageNotes
Straitsman (1972) Civil Ensign of Australia.svg NQEA, Cairns, Australia 1972199220041,481  GT Strait Shipping's first vessel. It transported livestock and launched Strait Shipping's service across Cook Strait between Wellington, Picton and Nelson. In service until replaced by Santa Regina in 2002. [14]
Suilven The Stornoway ferry off Ullapool - geograph.org.uk - 1552974.jpg Flag of Norway.svg Moss Verft, Moss, Norway 1974199520043,638  GT [14]
Kent Flag of Japan.svg Ishikawajima-Harima Shipyard, Tokyo, Japan 1977200120106,862  GT [14]
Santa Regina Bluebridge Santa Regina in Picton 20100121 4.jpg Flag of France.svg Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre  [ fr ], Le Havre, France 19852002201514,588 GT [14]
Monte Stello Monte Stello one of Bluebridges interisland ferries -Picton harbour, New Zealand-15Oct2010.jpg Flag of France.svg Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre  [ fr ], Le Havre, France 19792006201011,630  GT Lost power in Tory Channel on 2 May 2008. [14] [15]
Straitsman (2005) Straitsman Ferry.JPG Flag of the Netherlands.svg Volharding Shipyards  [ nl ], Netherlands20052010202313,906  GT Now operated by Condor Ferries in the United Kingdom
Strait Feronia Strait Feronia Wellington En Route to Picton (26693776091) (cropped).jpg Flag of Italy.svg Cantiere Navale Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy 19972015202521,856 GT Replaced by Livia; [16] sold to Egypt in September 2025 for Red Sea service as Pan Lily. [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Strait NZ – Our Story". Archived from the original on 4 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "Bluebridge – About Us". Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 "The Strait Shipping story". Strait Shipping. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 "John Haddock's CPE Capital sells Jaybro, StraitNZ for $1.1b". Australian Financial Review . 21 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners Completes Investment in StraitNZ Holdings Limited". Business Wire. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Charles Riddle (9 September 2016). "Obituary: Transport giant Jim Barker's legacy will be felt for decades to come". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Chloe Winter (6 December 2016). "New Zealand transport companies sold, new owner eyes growth". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "Australian Company Buys Cook Strait Ferries". Otago Daily Times. 6 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Particulars of Name Change". Companies Office. 29 March 2018. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "StraitNZ owner sells ferry and freightforwarding business – reports". Radio New Zealand . 22 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Stena RoRo's Connemara reportedly off to a new life with New Zealand's StraitNZ's Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries". Shippax. Halmstad. 11 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  12. ↑ Gibbens, Krystal (3 July 2025). "Scores ignore rain to welcome new Bluebridge ferry". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  13. ↑ "StraitNZ upgrades Cook Strait ferry fleet with new ship". Stuff . 21 March 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Our Company – Our Fleet". www.bluebridge.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Passenger Ferry Monte Stello, Loss of Power, Tory Channel, 2 May 2008". Transport Accident Investigation Commission. 25 March 2010. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Our company: Our Fleet". Wellington NZ: StraitNZ. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  17. ↑ Crisp, Dale (29 September 2025). "Red Sea future for Cook Strait ro-pax". Daily Cargo News. Sydney NSW. Archived from the original on 4 October 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
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