28 July 2011

SeaLink Travel Group will build a $3.8 million passenger terminal at Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island, to support the island as a major international tourism attraction and boost future growth.

SeaLink Travel Group MD, Jeff Ellison says the 230 square metre terminal will create a vital and positive first impression of the island. 

“Kangaroo Island is Australia’s fourth tourism icon alongside other major drawcards such as Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” Jeff says.

“Our ferries carry over 150,000 passengers a year to Kangaroo Island with many of them international visitors, and this new terminal will give them an exciting sense of arrival and will set the tone for the rest of their stay.”

The new terminal initiative follows on from SeaLink’s $2.4 million investment in 2005 in a new terminal at Cape Jervis. 

The two-storey terminal will include a visitor information centre, café, check-in counters, office space, comfortable passenger lounge and waiting areas with direct undercover access to ferry boarding via an air bridge.

It will also feature a coach passenger waiting area for visitors travelling on tours and transfers around the Island.

Jeff says travellers expect high quality facilities and the new terminal will meet and exceed their expectations, ensuring SA continued to attract more visitors

“This is a major infrastructure project that will create jobs both on the island and mainland and is fantastic news for both the residents of Kangaroo Island and visitors alike,” he says.

“It would not have been possible without the State Government’s support in the form of a $1.2 million contribution through the Regional Development Infrastructure Fund.” 

Work on the new Penneshaw terminal is expected to begin in November and be completed around June 2012.

SeaLink’s two state-of-the-art ferries, Spirit of Kangaroo Island and SeaLion 2000 make the crossing between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw in 45 minutes.