ROCKY RESPONSE AS HOPO COMMUTING IDEA FLOATED
WHO doesn’t enjoy staring into the deep blue yonder, lulled gently into surrender by a ferry bobbing in the breeze?
The Hopo Gold Coast Ferry Service, which has just scored a five-year contract extension, has been touted as a new mode of public transport in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
It has been marketed as a new wave of public transport, with the aim of taking more cars off the road.
But low patronage numbers throughout the pandemic and feedback from locals and visitors paints a different picture.
They say it is a tourist experience – and needs to be marketed that way.
It feels like that.
A captain wears a cute hat and gives an audio tour of how the Gold Coast got its name, why our canal systems are bigger and better than Venice, Italy, and a long-winded history of the hinterland and its volcanic origins.
In July, Aquaduck boss Sarah Colgate told the Bulletin business was thriving again post-lockdowns and “the Gold Coast has a golden opportunity to renew, refresh and continue pushing its amazing products, offerings and experiences”.
While Hopo managing director Anthony Ardern said the community had been “very supportive” of the ferry, tourists are saying they “can’t imagine locals using it for transport”.
Sydney residents Kerryn and David Odell said their commuter ferries were ideal for travelling to work, but “small ferries like the Hopo were better suited for tourists”.
“We really enjoyed it and it was great we could take our dog on board, but it’s probably not something we’d do if we lived here,” Ms Odell said.
A Brisbane resident waiting at the ferry stop at Southport’s Broadwater Parklands said: “It’s a great idea for people from out of town to explore the Gold Coast for the first time and see … places they haven’t seen before.”
Mayor Tom Tate said he was confident the ferry service had a “strong future”.
The service started as a two-year trial on December 4, 2019, and was extended by six months to August 31 this year.
More than 145,000 passengers used Hopo during the trial and it averages more than 5000 passengers monthly. Tickets for a daypass on the Hopo ferry cost $30 for adults, $20 for children and $100 for a family of four. A one-way ticket costs $7 for adults.
The service runs from Southport to Surfers Paradise and stops off at Sea World, HOTA and Marina Mirage.