Subscribe to RSSBirkenhead’s New Terminal
Ferry patrons are this morning enjoying Birkenhead’s new look ferry terminal, complete with an hydraulic ramp and canopies, which look great.
The outer berth improvements came into use this morning.
Northcote has similar canopies
The Birkenhead ferry now operates from the new Gate 1 - the inner berth is now called Gate 2.
Gate 1 will be the main gate. On occasions, due to adverse sea conditions, Gate 2 may be used.
It’s a great little trip to Birkenhead or Northcote if you haven’t taken it.
You get the thrill of also going under the harbour bridge.
One bonus is getting a close up of the bridge
Typical Auckland. Just as we approach Birkenhead it poured down - and my camera protested!
It's raining but the new terminal has lots of cover
Anyway you get the idea.
From the ferry, a glimpse of the completed terminal
It’s awesome to see such improved facilities - but a couple of complaints!
Why the secret? Why isn’t this ferry run promoted? There was no info at the downtown terminal about the service including a timetable handout and everyone was very vague when I asked them when the ferries ran.
And the stop at Northcote point needs much better seating.
There is only a wooden seat for about 4 people and being right by the harbour, it’s very exposed to the wind and rain there, which I didn’t appreciate as I waited 2 hours in the blistery conditions.
It looks picturesque but one seat & it can be freezing cold in the sea breeze air
And I didn’t realise the protocol. You have to “hail” the boat most times from Northcote like a cab or it will just take off immediately or bypass - as it did when it finally arrived much to my frustration! Locals may get this but the information is tucked away at the bottom of a small out of the way timetable notice on the side of the wharf gate.
Praise though to Fullers for their tolerant attitude to bikes going on the ferries.
The next ferry improvement will be Hobsonville.
A “detailed design procurement process” for the Hobsonville Ferry Terminal has been done with construction due to be completed by late 2011.
6 Comments
I heard some mention of cancellation of buses which meet Northcote ferries; any update on that?
Perhaps, like the Beach Haven and Bayswater wharf upgrades, seating and improvements were cancelled when Steven Joyce took $200 million away from the PT budget and tranfered it to the Roads of Significance to National??
The improvements to Birkenhead Ferry terminal are excellent and will make the turn around time for the ferries in and out of Birkenhead much better. The terminal is very nice indeed and the completion of the new gate 1 completes it.
What? No thank you to the Waiheke commuters who paid for it all?
@Uroskin Is that why your fares went up? Noticed any drop in commuters since the rises?
“What? No thank you to the Waiheke commuters who paid for it all?”
Uhmmm, Uroskin, this stuff is paid by ARTA out of ARC rates. In other words, it appears you are wrong. Whether your regular complaints about price gouging on the Waiheke run are merited or not I cannot say - maybe they are, maybe they aren’t - but it has little to do with this matter, because infrastructure upgrades aren’t paid from fares, subsidised or otherwise.