The newest Spirit of Tasmania ferry has arrived in Australian waters after a six-week voyage from Scotland — but it will still be more than a week before it is expected to reach Hobart.

Spirit of Tasmania IV — one of two new vessels that are set to replace TT-Line’s current ageing Bass Strait ferries — left the Scottish port of Leith on June 30.

The 212-metre-long ship reached Fremantle in Western Australia on Tuesday, after travelling via Gibraltar, Cape Verde off the western coast of Africa, Cape Town in South Africa and Port Louis in Mauritius.

A map with dots for ships in Fremantle port showing Spirit of Tasmania IV docked.

Spirit of Tasmania IV docked in Fremantle, Western Australia, as seen on VesselFinder on Tuesday morning. (VesselFinder)

It will remain in Fremantle for the next four days to undergo customs and immigration formalities and a crew change, as well as to pick up fresh supplies and fuel.

Spirit IV will then make its way to Hobart, where it’s scheduled to dock on August 23, weather permitting.

In Hobart, the vessel will undergo a final fit-out, including mattresses, tabletops and artworks, while the crew will undertake training.

a large, red and white passenger ferry in dock

The Spirit of Tasmania will dock at Henderson in Western Australia for the next four days, enroute to Tasmanian from its temporary berth in Scotland. (ABC News: Julian Robins)

Long wait until Bass Strait journeys begin

It will be more than a year before Spirit IV begins transporting passengers and freight between Tasmania and Victoria, due to significant delays and cost blowouts with its berthing facilities in Devonport.

Spirit of Tasmania IV begins 27,000 km voyage to Hobart

Spirit of Tasmania IV has departed Scotland and is bound for Hobart, with its expected arrival announced as “late-August”.

The infrastructure, which was originally set to cost $90 million but will now cost $493 million, won’t be ready until October next year.

Spirit IV was built in Finland by shipbuilder Rauma Marine Construction (RMC), which completed the job last year.

But instead of heading to Tasmania, it spent almost six months berthed in Scotland while the state government investigated whether another company would lease the ship.

a large, red and white passenger ferry in dock

Spirit of Tasmania IV is the first of two new passenger ferries ordered by the Tasmanian government. (ABC News: Julian Robins)

As of late April, storing the vessel in Scotland had cost the Tasmanian government $4.3 million, including fuel, crew and port costs.

The second replacement vessel, Spirit of Tasmania V, was handed over to TT-Line at a ceremony in Finland in June.

“Spirit of Tasmania IV and V are generational investments that will ultimately benefit the broader Tasmanian economy and the visitor economy,” TT-Line chief executive Chris Carbone said on Monday.

It is not yet known when Spirit V will leave Finland and travel to Tasmania.

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