Full News Article

[Current News] [Search Archive]

World's Largest Ocean Liner to Visit Adelaide

9th March 2010

The world's largest ocean liner, Cunard Lines' Queen Mary 2, arrives in Adelaide this Thursday (11 March).

The 345-metre long liner will be carrying around 2500 passengers and 1300 crew when she arrives at Outer Harbor from Sydney at 8am before departing for Western Australia at 6pm.

Jo Podoliak from the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) said the visit to South Australia by Cunard Lines' slightly smaller liner, the 90,000 tonne Queen Victoria, was a successful precursor to the arrival of Queen Mary 2.

"Passengers aboard the Queen Victoria gave glowing endorsements of Adelaide and the welcome we provide, proving the success of all the hard work carried out with our partners - Flinders Ports, the Port Adelaide-Enfield Council and the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure - in ensuring cruise passengers receive the friendliest and most efficient arrival possible," Ms Podoliak says.

"The positive feedback we regularly receive from visiting cruise ship captains and passengers include great reviews of our renowned meet and greet program thanks in part to our team of wonderful volunteers, the Port Adelaide Passenger Terminal facilities and the tours undertaken around several regions within the State.

"The Queen Mary 2’s visit on Thursday will definitely be one of the highlights of our 2009-10 cruise season, which will see a record 27 cruise ship arrivals at South Australian ports and inject millions of dollars into our State's economy, edging us further towards reaching our overall tourism goal of $6.3 billion in visitor expenditure by 2014.

"We're expecting significant public interest in Queen Mary 2’s visit, and will be putting signage in place to indicate the changes to residential traffic and local parking around Outer Harbor which will facilitate public movement on Thursday, especially for the morning arrival and evening departure.

"The local community are to be commended for putting their support behind the event with several nearby local businesses opening up their doors to the public, or bringing their services to the terminal."

The Queen Mary 2 will approach the Outer Harbor channel at around 6.30am and arrive alongside the terminal by 8am. The ship will depart Outer Harbor at 6pm.

Viewing
The best vantage points for the arrival and departure of the ship will be south (left side) of the Outer Harbor terminal, accessible from Lady Ruthven Drive and Lady Gowrie Drive, North Haven. Good views should also be available from the beach at North Haven, Osborne and Largs North.

Vehicle access
On Thursday 11 March, access to Outer Harbor will be via Lady Ruthven Drive, North Haven (extension of Lady Gowrie Drive), on the south western side of the port. Traffic will be restricted to travelling north along Oliver Rogers Road past the Outer Harbor terminal and south onto Victoria Road, Osborne.

For vehicles approaching Outer Harbor from the eastern side, Victoria Road will be closed to private vehicles at Coghlan Road, Osborne, from 4pm until 6pm. Ship viewing vehicles should detour at Osborne Road, North Haven.

Signage will also be put in place to indicate changes to residential traffic and local parking around Outer Harbor on the day the Queen Mary 2 is in town.

Parking
Parking will be available in signposted zones along Lady Ruthven Drive and Lady Gowrie Drive. Note that areas along Oliver Rogers Road adjacent to the terminal will be signed 'No Standing'.

Public transport
Normal bus services will operate throughout Thursday (Route 333 from Port Adelaide to Outer Harbor).

Other services
Public toilets will be located on vacant land south (left side) of the Port Adelaide Passenger Terminal.

Timing
The Queen Mary 2 will approach the Outer Harbor channel at around 6am and arrive alongside the terminal by 8am. The ship will depart Outer Harbor at 6pm.

Other facilities and celebrations
Food and beverage services (mobile coffee unit and Noddy's ice cream van) will be available in the public viewing area.

The local Rotary Club will also have a presence in the afternoon with a sausage sizzle.

North Haven Surf Lifesaving Club (located on Australia 2 Avenue) will open doors from 5pm and offer meals, live entertainment (country singer Amber Joy Polton) and limited car parking.

North Haven Golf Club (Lady Ruthven Drive, Outer Harbor) will open from 7am and will offer food, beverages and toilet facilities and limited car parking.

Largs Bay Sailing Club (The Foreshore, Largs Bay) will open at 4.30pm offering full bar facilities and limited car parking.

Dolphin Explorer will also offer cruises for people to get up close to the Queen Mary 2 on the water.

Media contact:
Public Relations Unit,
telephone +61 8 8463 4500
or email satc.pr.publications@saugov.sa.gov.au