The government has said the timing is not related to the recent grounding of the state-owned enterprise's ferry Aratere.

Nadine Taylor says the grounding of the Aratere near Picton has raised questions about how KiwiRail is looking after its Interislander ferries.

The grounding of the Aratere ferry is a wake-up call for the coalition government to invest in new vessels and infrastructure, critics say.

The Interislander ferry only recently underwent wet dock maintenance, which included the replacement of its steering system.

The Aratere grounding shows the fragility of the link between the North and South islands, Transporting NZ says.

People have been turning out in Picton to get a glimpse of the stranded Aratere, which is visible from parts of the seaside town.

Interislander's three ferries were all built in the 1990s and have been hit by mechanical problems in recent years.

One of the KiwiRail shareholding ministers says there are good reasons for the InterIslander ferry service to stay in government hands.

A maritime adventure set on the low seas of a ferry run to ground The post The Secret Diary of .. the grounded Aratere ferry appeared first on...

The Aratere is back on the water after a night-time refloating operation.