Primary students help celebrate 40 years

ARANUI Image 1: Aranui Primary Students meet Captain William (Bill) Wood, who served on the Aranui as one of the Deck Officers and is now a Master on Kaitaki. Click for larger version

ARANUI Image 2 : Aranui Primary School students enjoy the view of Wellington from Kaitaki's Atrium.

1965 Image 1: Aranui School's newest pupil, five-year old Paul Osman, receives the commemorative Aranui Photograph on behalf of his school from Mr A.G. de Joux, NZ Railways district traffic engineer. Photo source: Photo News.

1965 Image 2: Pupils from Aranui School, Wanganui, inspect the Aranui ferry after which their school was named. Photo source: Wanganui Newspapers Limited.

Media Release
17/08/2005

Primary school students help Interislander celebrate ‘40 years of fun on the ferry’

Ninety-five students, teachers and parents from Aranui Primary School in Wanganui, traveled by bus to take part in a 40th anniversary celebration at the Interislander Ferry Terminal in Wellington yesterday.

The celebration marked the 40-year relationship between Aranui Primary School and the Interislander’s Aranui Ferry from when they were both officially opened and launched on the same day in 1965.

The children were amongst the first to go on board the Interislander’s latest and largest ferry Kaitaki, which arrived in Wellington on Saturday.

Martin Weekes, General Manager Passenger Services at the Interislander, said the occasion was a great opportunity to revisit the history between Aranui Primary School and the Interislander.

“Not long after the launches in 1965, the Interislander brought down 40 students from the school to visit their namesake in Wellington and were taken on board the Aranui. It’s great that we’ve been able to do this again 40 years on, and give these children the opportunity to see the sights of Wellington and experience what it’s like to be on a ferry.”

The students, aged five-to-11 years, presented the Interislander staff with a series of large painted canvasses that signified “40 years of fun on the ferry,” before the highlight of their trip; being taken aboard on an exclusive tour of the Kaitaki.

Shaun Priest, the Principal of Aranui Primary School, said he was delighted with the opportunity.

“The children have been really looking forward to the trip for weeks and have been so excited that their canvasses will be displayed on the Interislander’s ferries. The look on the children’s faces when they were on board Kaitaki was a very special moment.”

The Aranui Primary School trip was made possible by the Interislander, Intercity and Wellington Zoo.

ENDS

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