From SCOOP on 14th March 2026:

The Green Party is warning that New Zealand is facing a “perfect storm” of transport disruption after the latest ferry breakdowns and cancellations left travellers stranded and freight operators scrambling to move goods between the North and South Islands. The Interislander’s Kaiārahi has been out of service since Tuesday night because of a technical fault. An Interislander staff member has gone overseas to collect crucial components to fix the stricken ferry. Meanwhile, a technical fault meant that Bluebridge’s Connemara ferry was also cancelled on Thursday and Friday. Its Picton-Wellington service was scheduled to return to service early on Saturday morning.

and:

Greens transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said that the Interislander fleet had effectively dropped from six ships to four in recent days. She said the situation highlighted the risks created by the government’s decision to cancel a previous contract for two new Interislander ferries that had already been ordered.

and:

Genter warned that ageing ferries, rising oil prices and more severe weather were combining to create mounting pressure on the Cook Strait crossing. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2603/S00090/green-party-warns-of-perfect-storm-as-ferry-breakdowns-disrupt-travel-and-freight.htm

We’ve reported here many times on the parlous state of ferry transport in New Zealand. They see incidents of such seriousness, real islanders would be camped at Holyrood, if they experienced anything like them. See:

Five serious incidents in only two years including drifting powerless near a rocky headland but New Zealand never blame government

Imagine you paid $222 million and didn’t get a ferry at all, even a wee one, that’d be a ‘ferry fiasco’ wouldn’t it? They did…..in New Zealand.