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Fullers Group

Company type	Private
Industry	Ferry & tourism company
Founder	George Hudson
Headquarters	Auckland, New Zealand
Area served	Auckland
Key people	Mike Horne, CEO
Brands	Fullers360
Services	Auckland Commuter and tourist ferry services
Owner	InMotion Group
Website	www.fullers.co.nz

Fullers Group Limited, trading as Fullers360, is a ferry and tourism company in Auckland, New Zealand. It operates in the Hauraki Gulf and Waitematā Harbour. Fullers Group is the latest in a long line of almost continuous harbour and gulf ferry operations based in Auckland since the 1870s.

History

George Hudson, and his son, Douglas, conceived an idea for an improved ferry operator to replace the neglected Auckland ferry services during a sailing trip on Waitematā Harbour in 1981. By the end of that year, the Hudson family acquired North Shore Ferries (from Leo Dromgoole), another ferry company in Auckland and renaming it the Devonport Steam Ferry Group (which Gulf Ferries Ltd was a part of) (To celebrate the name of the company founded by Ewen W.Allison nearly 100 years before). However, the difficulties and hardships of rejuvenating a failing fleet became apparent almost immediately, as within six weeks of the takeover, every vessel was out of service, except for the Glen Rosa, a small Launch (boat).

The transition to a modern operation began in 1987 with the arrival of the Quickcat, Gulf Ferries' first catamaran, creating a faster, more efficient ferry service to Waiheke Island and other destinations. This was continued with the Kea (Built by WECO in Whangārei) being introduced in 1988 to operate the Auckland City to Devonport service. For the tourism services, two new catamaran ferries from World Heritage Cruises, Adventurer and Wanderer, were purchased in 2006 and 2007 for NZ$3 million and NZ$2 million respectively. These vessels will also assist on the company's main ferry routes during peak hours.

In 1988, South Pacific Travel Holdings Ltd became shareholders before the publicly listed Fullers Corporation Ltd went into receivership. Recognizing the value of the "Fullers" brand, the company amalgamated its operations and changed its name to Fullers Group Limited. Stagecoach New Zealand became the major shareholder of Fullers Group Limited but kept George Hudson as chairman until 2007 where his son, Douglas Hudson became the CEO until 2017 when Mike Horne took over the position. In 2009, Brian Souter acquired the company as well as another ferry company, 360 Discovery Limited. Both are now part of the InMotion Group.

In 2018 Fullers and 360 Discovery decided to merge brands to become a more cohesive and consumer-friendly ferry operator creating Fullers360.

Services

Fullers Group runs ferries from the Auckland Ferry Terminal in Quay Street, Downtown Auckland under the Fullers360 branding. Fullers360 operates to:

Auckland suburbs of:

• Devonport
• Beach Haven
• Half Moon Bay near the eastern suburb of Howick
• Hobsonville Point
• Gulf Harbour

Hauraki Gulf Island destinations of:

• Waiheke Island
• Rangitoto Island

Fullers360 previously operated services to:

• Bayswater
• Birkenhead
• Northcote
• Motutapu Island
• Rotoroa Island
• Coromandel Peninsula
• Great Barrier Island

Fullers Group owns and operates the Waiheke Bus Company providing public transportation on Waiheke Island.

Fullers360 also operates tourism packages and tours alongside ferry services at its island destinations.

Vessels

edit

Name	Image	Shipyard	Launched	Capacity	Length	Class/type	Notes
Future hybrid vessel		Q-West, Whanganui	2025 planned	300 28 bikes	32m	IC19214
Kermadec		Vessev, Auckland	2024 0 years ago	8 0 bikes	8.9m	VS-9	Touted as “the world's first electric hydrofoil ferry”. However, it will not be used for commuter ferry services
Kororā		Q-West, Whanganui	2017 7 years ago	420 20 bikes	34.9m	IC15128
Tōrea		Q-West, Whanganui	2017 7 years ago	420 20 bikes	34.9m	IC15128
Te Maki		Challenge Marine, Nelson	2017 7 years ago	174 10 bikes	23.9m	IC15062
Discovery VII (D7)		Aluminium Marine, Brisbane	2015 9 years ago	134 6 bikes	19m	IC14202
Discovery VI (D6)		Aluminium Marine, Brisbane	2015 9 years ago	249 6 bikes	24.96m	ICO13078
Te Kōtuku		Q-West, Whanganui	2014 10 years ago	329 20 bikes	34m
Ika Kākahi		Aluminium Boats, Brisbane	2011 13 years ago	400 20 bikes	37m	EnviroCat	Built as a crew-transfer vessel for Gladstone LNG, known as Capricornian Dancer before joining Fullers in 2019
Kekeno		Aluminium Boats, Brisbane	2011 13 years ago	400 20 bikes	37m	EnviroCat	Built as a crew-transfer vessel for Gladstone LNG, known as Capricornian Surfer before joining Fullers in 2017
Takahē		Aluminium Marine, Brisbane	2011 13 years ago	194 10 bikes	23.9m	IC11022
Adventurer		RDM, Tasmania	1996 28 years ago	246 12 bikes	29m
Discovery III (D3)		Robertson Boats, Warkworth	1996 28 years ago	150 6 bikes	18m
Tiger Cat			1996 28 years ago	140 15 bikes	18m
Harbour Cat			1995 29 years ago	108 15 bikes	20m
Discovery II (D2)		Robertson Boats, Warkworth	1995 29 years ago	78 4 bikes	15m
Osprey		homebuilt in Whangārei	1994 30 years ago	152 10 bikes	19.5m		Withdrawn from service in 2023. Not wheelchair accessible.
Discovery I (D1)		Robertson Boats, Warkworth	1993 31 years ago	151	20m
Superflyte		Wavemaster, Perth	1996 28 years ago	650 30 bikes	41m		Withdrawn from service in 2019, scrapped in 2023
Seaflyte		Wavemaster, Perth	1994 30 years ago	208 20 bikes	21.48m		Renamed Milford Explorer, now operates in Milford Sound
Jet Raider		Wavemaster, Perth	1990 34 years ago	400	37m		Sold to Tonga in 2017 and renamed to MV Māui
Kea		WECO, Whangārei	1988 36 years ago	450 30 bikes	27.06m		Withdrawn from service in 2020, scrapped in 2023
Quickcat		SBF Engineering, Perth	1986 38 years ago	650 30 bikes	33.38m		Parked at Silo Marina still in service but is only a backup vessel for Fullers360

See also

• Public transport in Auckland

References

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External links

• Fullers Auckland (official company website)

• Companies based in Auckland
• Ferry companies of New Zealand
• Public transport in Auckland
• Waiheke Island
• New Zealand companies established in 1981
• Transport companies established in 1981