StraitNZ

---

title: "StraitNZ" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2022-mergers-and-acquisitions", "ferry-companies-of-new-zealand", "companies-based-in-wellington", "cook-strait-ferry", "picton,-new-zealand", "transport-companies-of-new-zealand", "new-zealand-companies-established-in-1992", "transport-companies-established-in-1992", "morgan-stanley"] description: "New Zealand transport company" topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StraitNZ" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary New Zealand transport company ::

::data[format=table title="infobox company"]

Field	Value
name	StraitNZ Limited
former_name	Strait Shipping
Bluebridge
logo	Straitnz logo.png
industry	Passenger and freight shipping, freight forwarding and logistics
predecessor	Strait Shipping, Streamline Freight, Freight Lines
founder	Jim Barker and Dennis Dow
area_served	New Zealand
revenue	NZ$175 million (2021)
net_income	NZ$45 million (2021)
num_employees	500 (2021)
parent	Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (2022–present)
subsid	Bluebridge
StraitNZ Freight Forwarding
StraitNZ Linehaul
foundation	1992
location	Wellington, New Zealand
homepage	www.straitnz.co.nz
::

| name = StraitNZ Limited | former_name = Strait Shipping Bluebridge | logo = Straitnz logo.png | type = | industry = Passenger and freight shipping, freight forwarding and logistics | genre = | fate = | predecessor = Strait Shipping, Streamline Freight, Freight Lines | successor = | founder = Jim Barker and Dennis Dow | defunct = | area_served = New Zealand | key_people = | products = | services = | revenue = NZ$175 million (2021) | operating_income = | net_income = NZ$45 million (2021) | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = 500 (2021) | parent = Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (2022–present) | divisions = | subsid = Bluebridge StraitNZ Freight Forwarding StraitNZ Linehaul | footnotes = | intl = | caption = | foundation = 1992 | location_city = | location_country = | location = Wellington, New Zealand | locations = | homepage = 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. Originally a freight-only service, passenger services commenced in 2002 and operate under the Bluebridge brand. As of 2021, Bluebridge holds 56% of the market for vehicle freight and 31% of the market for passenger services across Cook Strait. The company was acquired on 31 March 2022 by Morgan Stanley |title=Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners Completes Investment in StraitNZ Holdings Limited|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220331005841/en/Morgan-Stanley-Infrastructure-Partners-Completes-Investment-in-StraitNZ-Holdings-Limited/ |website=Business Wire |access-date=2022-12-19 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219144853/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220331005841/en/Morgan-Stanley-Infrastructure-Partners-Completes-Investment-in-StraitNZ-Holdings-Limited/ |archive-date=2022-12-19 |url-status=live

History

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

Inter-island ferry operations began in 1992 as Strait Shipping Limited, 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.

In 2016, Strait Shipping was sold to Australian-based Champ Private Equity Group. 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. 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, with passenger services continuing to operate under the Bluebridge brand. Sister companies Freight Lines and Streamline were rebranded as "StraitNZ Linehaul" and "StraitNZ Freight Forwarding" 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. 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.

Fleet

Current

::data[format=table]

Name	Image	Shipyard	Launched	Entered service	Port of registry	Tonnage	Notes
Connemara	[[File:StraitNZ_Connemara.jpg	200x200px]]	Italy Cantiere Navale Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy	2007	2023	Bahamas Nassau, Bahamas	27,414 GT
Livia	[[File:Stena_Livia_-Stena_Line(51132114355).jpg	200x200px]]	Italy Cantiere Navale Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy	2008	2025		26,904 GT
::

Past

::data[format=table]

Name	Image	Shipyard	Launched	Entered service	Retired	Tonnage	Notes
Straitsman (1972)		Australia NQEA, Cairns, Australia	1972	1992	2004		title=Our Company – Our Fleet
Suilven	[[File:The Stornoway ferry off Ullapool - geograph.org.uk - 1552974.jpg	200x200px]]	Norway Moss Verft, Moss, Norway	1974	1995	2004
Kent		Japan Ishikawajima-Harima Shipyard, Tokyo, Japan	1977	2001	2010
Santa Regina	[[File:Bluebridge Santa Regina in Picton 20100121 4.jpg	200x200px]]	France , Le Havre, France	1985	2002	2015	14,588 GT
Monte Stello	[[File:Monte Stello one of Bluebridges interisland ferries -Picton harbour, New Zealand-15Oct2010.jpg	200x200px]]	France , Le Havre, France	1979	2006	2010
Straitsman (2005)	[[File:Straitsman Ferry.JPG	200x200px]]	Netherlands , Netherlands	2005	2010	2023
Strait Feronia	[[File:Strait Feronia Wellington En Route to Picton (26693776091) (cropped).jpg	200x200px]]	Italy Cantiere Navale Visentini, Porto Viro, Italy	1997	2015	2025	21,856 GT
::

References

References

1. "Strait NZ – Our Story".
2. "Bluebridge – About Us".
3. "The Strait Shipping story". Strait Shipping.
4. Charles Riddle. (9 September 2016). "Obituary: Transport giant Jim Barker's legacy will be felt for decades to come". [[Stuff.co.nz]].
5. (6 December 2016). "Australian Company Buys Cook Strait Ferries". [[Otago Daily Times]].
6. Chloe Winter. (6 December 2016). "New Zealand transport companies sold, new owner eyes growth". [[Stuff.co.nz]].
7. (29 March 2018). "Particulars of Name Change". [[Companies Office]].
8. (2021-12-22). "StraitNZ owner sells ferry and freightforwarding business – reports".
9. (2021-12-21). "John Haddock's CPE Capital sells Jaybro, StraitNZ for $1.1b".
10. (11 November 2022). "Stena RoRo's Connemara reportedly off to a new life with New Zealand's StraitNZ's Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries". Shippax.
11. (3 July 2025). "Scores ignore rain to welcome new Bluebridge ferry".
12. (21 March 2025). "StraitNZ upgrades Cook Strait ferry fleet with new ship". [[Stuff (website).
13. "Our Company – Our Fleet".
14. (25 March 2010). "Passenger Ferry Monte Stello, Loss of Power, Tory Channel, 2 May 2008". [[Transport Accident Investigation Commission]].
15. "Our company: Our Fleet". StraitNZ.
16. (29 September 2025). "Red Sea future for Cook Strait ro-pax". Daily Cargo News.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::