TSGT Union Rotorua 1976-1999

Built in 1976 for Union Steam Ship Company, the Union Rotorua was a large roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel. It was designed for the trans-Tasman cargo service, specifically carrying forestry products from Tauranga to Australia. It was a twin-screw steamship powered by a gas turbine engine and was capable of speeds of up to 20 knots. 

The Union Rotorua and its sibling ship the Union Rotoiti were the largest cargo ships built for the Company.  Equipped with a bow ramp and stern quarter ramp, these two ships incorporated the cargo lifts and other handling features of the Union Melbourne, which had been built in 1975 and also used for Trans-Tasman services. 

The Union Rotorua had a starring moment in the 1998 Auckland power crisis, a five-week power outage that affected central Auckland. Using its gas turbines the ship was able to supply temporary power to the Port of Auckland.

Rising fuel costs made operating the ship uneconomical and in 1998 the Union Rotorua was sold to Indian shipbreakers. After having its engines removed in Singapore the ship was towed to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard and scrapped in early 1999.