# Captain Cook Cruises (Australia)

Captain Cook Cruises is an Australian cruise operator. As of January 2018, the company operated 21 vessels on Sydney Harbour, providing a range of Government contracted and non-contracted Ferry services, Sightseeing, Dining and Charter Cruises.

## History

Captain Cook Cruises commenced operating on 26 January 1970 on Port Jackson, Sydney with the Captain Cook, a modified 1943 Fairmile B motor launch. The business was founded by Trevor Haworth taking its name from James Cook who led the first European contact with the East Coast of Australia in 1770.
Initially operating charters, on 1 May 1970 regular cruises began operating from Circular Quay to Middle Harbour. In November 1971 a second cruise commenced via the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers as far as the Gladesville Bridge.
In August 1975, the custom-built Captain Cook II built by Carrington Slipways, Tomago was commissioned. In August 1978, the Lady Geradline was built by Millkraft Shipyards, Brisbane. This was followed by City of Sydney built by Sims Engineering, Port Chalmers in 1981. In 1978 the original Northbridge marina was sold with a new facility purchased in Neutral Bay.
In May 1984, the John Cadman Cruising Restaurant business was purchased. In 1987, Captain Cook Cruises began operating cruises on the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater with the Lady Hawkesbury. In November 1987, the Hegarty Ferries business was purchased from Stannard Bros, primarily to give Captain Cook Cruises exclusive access to wharf 6 at Circular Quay. It operated services to Jeffrey Street, Milsons Point and McMahons Point. In May 1988, the business of Murray River Developments was purchased with the Murray River Queen and Murray Princess on the Murray River and the Brisbane Explorer on the Brisbane River.
In 1991, operations began on the Great Barrier Reef in a joint venture with Qantas. The MV Reef Endeavour was ordered, however problems during its construction resulted in the Lady Hawkesbury being transferred from the Hawkesbury River to the Great Barrier Reef as the Reef Escape in July 1992. In turn the Brisbane Explorer was transferred to the Hawkesbury as the Hawkesbury Explorer II. The Reef Endeavour eventually entered service in 1995.
In 1992, the company began operations in Fiji, purchasing Tivua Island, located 18 km off the coast of Port Denarau. Sailing Day Cruises were commenced to the island. Reef Escape was relocated to Fiji from the Great Barrier Reef in 1995 and began accommodated cruises through the Yasawa and Mamanuca Islands.
On 7 January 2003, the former Hegarty routes ceased. In November 2005 Matilda Cruises was acquired from Amalgamated Holdings Limited (now Event Hospitality and Entertainment), with 11 vessels. In 2011, Captain Cook Cruises was purchased by the SeaLink Travel Group.

## Sydney
### Network

Captain Cook Cruises operate ferry services connecting Sydney Harbour, Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Circular Quay, Watsons Bay, Manly, the Lane Cove River and White Bay.
The Shark Island and Zoo Express are part of the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) services which also call at Watsons Bay and Manly. These services will resume during the school holidays on 19 December 2020 after the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Resumption dates for the City Loop (Darling Harbour/Barangaroo), Luna Park, and Fort Denison services are not yet known.
* City Loop
   * Sydney Aquarium
   * Darling Harbour
   * Luna Park
   * Circular Quay West
* Shark Island
   * Circular Quay West
   * Shark Island
* Zoo Express
   * Circular Quay West
   * Taronga Zoo
* White Bay Only operates on days that there are cruise liners at White Bay. So will not resume until the cruise terminal reopens.
   * Darling Harbour
   * White Bay
* Watsons Bay
   * A commuter service between Watsons Bay and Circular Quay commenced on 23 March 2015.
* Lane Cove River
   * Circular Quay West
   * Jeffrey Street
   * Kirribilli
   * Birchgrove
   * Greenwich Point
   * Bay Street, Greenwich
   * Northwood
   * Longueville
   * Alexandra Street, Hunters Hill
   * St Ignatius' College, Riverview

## Vessels

| Name | Builder | Year built | Notes |
| Captain Cook I | | 1943 | Fairmile B motor launch formerly named Daydream II, sold to Fiji as Stardust II |
| Captain Cook II | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1975 | |
| Corsair | | | purchased second hand 1976 |
| Lady Geraldine | Millkraft Shipyards, Hemmant | 1978 | named after Trevor Haworth's wife |
| City of Sydney | Sims Engineering, Port Chalmers | 1981 | |
| John Cadman | | 1970 | purchased with John Cadman Cruising Restaurant business May 1984, rebuilt from burnt out hull of Lady Scott built for Sydney Ferries Limited in 1915, sold as Harbour Queen |
| John Cadman II | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1986 | |
| Leura | | | purchased with Hegarty Ferries business November 1987, sold 2003, named after Leura |
| Seeka Star | | 1940 | purchased with Hegarty Ferries business November 1987, sold 2003 |
| Twin Star | | 1972 | purchased with Hegarty Ferries business November 1987, sold 2003 |
| Lady Hawkesbury | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1987 | transferred from Hawkesbury River to Great Barrier Reef and renamed Reef Escape July 1992 |
| Murray River Queen | Hindmarsh Island | 1974 | purchased with Murray River Developments business May 1988, sold 1993 |
| Murray Princess | Hindmarsh Island | 1986 | purchased with Murray River Developments business May 1988 |
| Brisbane Explorer | | | purchased with Murray River Developments business May 1988, transferred from Brisbane River to Hawkesbury River and renamed Hawkesbury Explorer II |
| John Cadman III | Carrington Slipways, Tomago | 1989 | |
| Captain Cook III | Wavemaster, Fremantle | 1990 | |
| Reef Endeavour | Government Shipyard, Suva | 1995 | |
| Sydney 2000 | Austal, Perth | 1998 | Sydney 2000 nearly collided with Freshwater-class ferry Collaroy on the 4th of June 2023 |
| Alice | Norman R Wright & Sons, Bulimba | 1996 | purchased with Matilda Cruises business November 2005 |
| Jillian | Norman R Wright & Sons, Bulimba | 1996 | purchased with Matilda Cruises business November 2005 |
| Megan | Norman R Wright & Sons, Bulimba | 1996 | purchased with Matilda Cruises business November 2005 |
| Elizabeth Cook | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2013 | named after Elizabeth Cook |
| Mary Reibey | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2014 | named after Mary Reibey |
| Annabelle Rankin | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2014 | named after Annabelle Rankin |
| Violet McKenzie | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2015 | named after Violet McKenzie |
| Capricorn Sunrise | Aluminium Boats Australia, Hemmant | 2011 | transferred from Gladstone November 2016 |
| Cockle Bay | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2016 | named after Cockle Bay Leased to RiverCity Ferries together with Blackwattle Bay, White Bay, Pyrmont Bay and Eleanor (the last three not listed here), from November 2020, to operate KittyCat CityHopper and CityFerry services on the Brisbane River. |
| Blackwattle Bay | Richardson Devine Marine, Hobart | 2016 | named after Blackwattle Bay |
| Nancy Wake | Aluminium Marine, Thornlands | 2017 | named after Nancy Wake |