The sky was clear and the sea calm when Spirit of Tasmania V arrived in Devonport at 6:19am on Sunday morning.
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Spirit → arrive → morning
For a channel known for baring its teeth, Bass Strait had been kind to the passengers and crew.
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Strait → know → passengers
About 12 hours earlier, guests took selfies and drank wine on the pristine deck as the new ship left Geelong for its maiden passenger voyage.
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ship → take → voyage
As a guitarist wove through the crowd, dignitaries were singing the vessel's praises.
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dignitaries → sing → praises
"We've stayed the course, and we've got it done," Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff told ABC reporters, who were invited on the inaugural crossing.
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who → stay → crossing
Standing beside the premier was an emotional Devonport mayor Alison Jarman, who likened the Spirit of Tasmania brand to the Sydney Opera House.
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who → stand → House
"She's iconic … and so are these two ships to our state," she said.
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she → say → state
The new Spirits, which were beset by delays and cost blowouts, were built by Finnish company Rauma Marine Constructions.
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which → beset → Constructions
"It's a historic moment for us … a beautiful collaboration," said the Finnish ambassador to Australia, Arto Haapea.
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ambassador → say → Australia
Ship enthusiasts were not going to miss the historic occasion.
Mitchell Bruce, creator of the Ferries in Tasmania website, said he had been passionate about the Spirits for decades.
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he → go → decades
"Growing up in Tassie, going across on the original Spirit … it sparked an interest inside me," he said.
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he → grow → me
"It's great that we have these things from another part of the world that are servicing the island of Tasmania."
For many on board, the historic crossing was a journey home.
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crossing → have → board
Celeste Ackerly, accompanied by her child and two pet dogs, was returning to Tasmania and had initially been unaware that she had booked on Spirit V's maiden crossing.
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she → accompany → crossing
"It's pretty cool to know this is the first time," she said.
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she → know → ?
Brian Munday was capping off a mainland road trip with a memorable night at sea.
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Munday → cap → sea
"We've been all up Queensland, three and a half months on the road and now we're heading home," he told the ABC.
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he → head → ABC
Sweety Neik, from Melbourne, was embarking on her first Tasmanian adventure, with Cradle Mountain and Hobart's Salamanca Market high on her to-do list.
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Neik → embark → list
It's very exciting, I was looking forward to [October] 31," she said.
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she → look → October
"I want to go and see how good Tasmania is."
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Tasmania → want → ?
As the Sun slowly rose above Bass Strait this morning, with the north-west Tasmanian coast coming into view, Mr Rockliff and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent addressed the media.
"This is a pretty iconic moment, and I think everybody on board felt that last night," Mr Vincent said.
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Vincent → rise → that
There is hope that November 1, 2026, will mark a "new dawn" for a brand that has spent years in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
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that → be → reasons
"This project certainly had its challenges," the premier said.
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premier → have → challenges
"But some very capable people picked up the mantle and got it done."
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it → pick → mantle
The Aporia