New Zealand’s two new state-owned ferries were named Kupe and Cook, Minister for Rail Winston Peters announced in a speech at Parliament.
The vessels were set to arrive in 2029 and would be operated by KiwiRail for 30 years, carrying passengers and rail across Cook Strait. The ferries replaced the ageing fleet that had served the busy route between the North and South Islands for decades.
The first ferry was named after Kupe, the legendary Pacific explorer who was said to have discovered New Zealand many centuries ago according to Māori tradition. The second was named after Captain James Cook, the British navigator who charted much of New Zealand’s coastline during his voyages in the 1700s. Peters said the names honoured both men’s remarkable skills as sailors and explorers, and their lasting connection to the strait.
The announcement marked a change from past naming traditions, when many Cook Strait ferries were given names beginning with “Ara”, a Māori word meaning “path”. Historians noted that Kupe and Cook had often been linked together in New Zealand history, as both were celebrated for their navigation skills and their exploration of the Pacific Ocean.
Peters said he believed it was important for the country to remember and learn from its history through names such as these. The new ferries were expected to greatly improve travel across Cook Strait once they began operating in 2029.
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