Ika Rere: the electric ferry heading for Wellington's harbour

The first electric ferry in the southern hemisphere is soon to hit the seas in Wellington. Ika Rere is its name - it means 'flying fish'. It will join the East by West ferry fleet, as part of the return service from Wellington to Eastbourne. East by West managing director Jeremy Ward decided to bring electric passenger ferries to New Zealand after seeing them in action in fjiords of Norway. In 2018 he set up the Wellington Electric Boat Building Company - a subsidiary of East by West - with boatbuilder Fraser Foote. Not only did the pair bring the electric ferry to Wellington, they've helped bring boat building back to the capital - 20 years after it fizzled out, and they hope to keep building electric ferries from their Lower Hutt base. On Thursday Ika Rere will be opened up to guests to look at, with sailings set to start before Christmas - and the ferry going into full service in the new year.