Australia's newest Antarctic icebreaking research vessel has begun its 24,000-kilometre journey home to Tasmania, the Australian Antarctic Division confirmed on Wednesday, September 1.
Nuyina has left Vlissingen in the Netherlands and is scheduled to arrive in its homeport of Hobart in late October. The voyage will take the ship close to 60 degrees South and the edge of the sea ice surrounding Antarctica.
Once it arrives in Hobart, Nuyina will undertake an intensive period of testing, commissioning, and certification of various systems and capabilities, including ice trials in Antarctica.
The ship was formally handed over to the Australian government in a ceremony on August 19.
Nuyina was built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. It has a length of 160 metres, a beam of 25 metres, space for 32 crew, and a range of 30,000 kilometres.
