4 Dec 2017

Supermoon's pull cancels ferries

4:45 pm on 4 December 2017

Some Auckland ferry services will be replaced with buses this week because of the so-called supermoon's pull on tides.

A Fullers ferry leaving the Auckland Ferry Terminal

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Low tides mean no ferry services between downtown and Half Moon Bay on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Passengers can catch a bus instead.

The moon will be closest to Earth tonight, meaning it will look larger than usual.

The supermoon causes both higher and lower tides, which means at its lowest the water level will not be high enough for ferry services to run at Half Moon Bay, said spokesperson James Ireland.

Auckland Transport had recently installed a one-way valve on the cesspit outlet near Tamaki Drive, he said. Mr Ireland said it would stop tidal water from flowing up the outlet pipe and onto Tamaki Drive.

"We will monitor the area during the high tide, but we are not expecting any issues," he said.

Meanwhile, NIWA has red-alerts for king-tides for the whole week because of the supermoon.

It said they normally peaked one or two days after a new moon or full moon.