Hop back on board Hopo

The City’s first ever ferry service is back, with two new locally built vessels taking to the water.Mayor Tom Tate and Anthony Ardern made the announcement today, with the regular service set to resume tomorrow.“It’s time to get back on board, explore our city by water and support this service to make it a permanent part of our transport network,” said Mayor Tom Tate.“Whether you’re hopping over to Sea World for the day, or for a weekend outing to HOTA, we want to help you keep choosing sustainable travel options.“Everything we do around transport is all part of our plan to make active travel the new normal and reduce congestion on our roads.” Hopo first launched in December 2019 but was suspended in late March due to COVID-19.It offers five-stops, servicing Home of the Arts (HOTA) at Evandale, Appel Park at Surfers Paradise, Marina Mirage at Main Beach, Broadwater Parklands at Southport and Sea World at Main Beach.The City will work with the operator over the two-year trial to assess the success of the service.Hopo Managing Director Anthony Ardern said the two new vessels had been built by local builders Everingham Power Boats at Horizon Shores Marina in Brisbane. “Ferry I will launch tomorrow while Ferry II will be available mid-August. The 60 capacity open plan design is specifically for Gold Coast waterways with features to protect marine life and habitats," he said.“There’s free Wi-Fi, two allocated wheelchair spaces and space for prams, bikes, surfboards and other sporting equipment on-board.” Hopo will be returning with a Try the New Ferries Sale featuring 20 percent off Hop on Hop off Day Pass adult tickets. In order to make the service more accessible for families, the second child now travels free on Day Pass Family tickets.For timetable information, visit www.hopo.com.au.Feature video: Not featuredHomepage featured: