Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# 'New' Tahitian Ferry on the Run!!! Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
hardnosethehighway 16:28 UTC 07 Jul 2010 | Who knows where it will end up?What a clown show!! DEBT-RIDDEN TAHITI FERRY FLEES CREDITORS Vessel thought heading to Fiji, New Caledonia WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, July 6, 2010) – The King Tamatoa fast ferry has left French Polynesia in a surprise overnight move as its operators were being pursued in court for debts incurred this year. The ship left Papeete without making any announcements after it had stopped running its service to the Society Islands. It is believed the ship is bound for New Caledonia or Fiji. The transport minister, Louis Frebault, has told Tahitipresse that the ship has been a means to blackmail as its operators sought tax write-offs and fuel subsidies. Last month, they threatened to pull out of Tahiti, if they failed to get the concessions they wanted. The government said no and the ferry stopped running, leaving many people stranded. Edited by:someone who never ceases to amazed at how badly both business and govt serve the people of the South Pacific |
silvanocat 17:34 UTC 07 Jul 2010 | That is so funny! Ferry on the run! (I think I may steal that line for my blog.) They stopped service less than three months after they started. (And the ferry had traveled all the way from Corsica to FP). It was originally supposed to start service on March 5th (and was so reported by all the "press release" travel sites) but didn't get going until March 31st. In April I blogged, "I sure hope it lasts unlike the previous ferries that have briefly run between the Society Islands (the Ono Ono, the Aremiti)." Last month Tahiti also had a general strike which shut down their international airport to large planes (the required firemen were also striking). About two thousand tourists were stuck not only in Tahiti but also at LAX (the horror, the horror), Auckland and Tokyo. The U.S. consul launched a daring rescue and chartered a smaller plane to transport about 50 lucky Americans to Rarotonga where they caught the Saturday night ANZ flight back to the States. Less fortunate ones remained stranded at their resorts. | 1
islandboi321 03:46 UTC 09 Jul 2010 | LMAOAROTF!!! It would be funny to see a ferry out at sea, at full sail with the FPPPRD in full pursuit... Hahahahaha!!!11!1 | 2