The Spirit of Hobart will make its first trip to New Norfolk, taking passengers further up the Derwent River than the vessel has ever travelled.
The full-day cruise on September 16 will depart from Murray Street Pier and travel upstream through the heart of Hobart, beneath three of the Derwent River’s bridges before arriving in New Norfolk.
Captain Peter O’May said it would be a milestone for the vessel which has been in operation for three decades.
“It’s something the boat hasn’t been there before and I haven’t been up there for … probably 25 years now,” he told Pulse.
O’May, who has been running boats in Hobart for 52 years, said the trip had become possible following the reopening of the Derwent River to larger vessels.
Boats like his can now travel the full stretch of the Derwent between Hobart and New Norfolk for the first time in nearly 80 years following the demolition of the old Bridgewater Bridge.
The river had been bridged at Bridgewater since 1849, with the old structure built in the 1940s.
Its lift span had eventually been closed, blocking access for larger vessels.
The new $786 million Bridgewater Bridge opened to traffic in June last year, before this year’s demolition of the old bridge.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent has previously said the removal of the old bridge marked “a big milestone for communities up and down the Derwent”.
“By having the Derwent open, the New Norfolk Regatta is set to return in 2027, giving just a taste of what’s to come for years ahead now this waterway is open,” he said.
The new bridge has around 16 metres of clearance.
O’May said the Spirit of Hobart stands only eight or nine metres high.
“A lot of people have, of course, have never been underneath the Bridgewater Bridge, so it’s quite an opportunity to do that,” he said.
The cruise will carry up to 60 passengers, with morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and an hour ashore in New Norfolk included.
O’May said the trip would be run as a trial, with organisers to consider making it a regular offering depending on demand.
Bookings are open online through Hobart Historic Cruises.
