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TT-Line says new Spirit of Tasmania terminal at Geelong will be operating from spring

The Spirit of Tasmania will be docking in Geelong, rather than Melbourne, from spring this year. (Facebook: Spirit of Tasmania)

Spirit of Tasmania passengers hoping to arrive in the heart of Melbourne have only a few months to do so before TT-Line shifts its Victorian port to Geelong. 

The Spirit's lease at Port Melbourne's Station Pier will end in November, with the passenger ferry to dock at Corio Quay instead. 

An exact date for the move has not been set, but bookings have already opened to sail to and from Geelong next year. 

New promotional vision of the 12-hectare Corio hub boasts "smooth boarding and disembarking", with the facility offering marshalling for 600 cars and freight parking for 150 semi-trailers.

The Corio Quay port base is about 70 kilometres south-west of Port Melbourne, roughly an hour's drive from the capital city.

A new passenger terminal is being built at Corio Quay, Geelong. (Supplied: Spirit of Tasmania)

TT-Line announced its new Victorian port in 2020, with chairman Mike Grainger saying it would give the company "a unique opportunity to enhance the customer experience". 

Mr Grainger has said Corio Quay is easy to get to and solves a number of "operational constraints" at Station Pier. 

TT-Line has said the move will not add time to the sailings, but efficiencies at the new port will save time. 

The promotional video states the new port provides a "gateway to some of Victoria's best destinations", including Geelong, the Twelve Apostles, Ballarat and the Bellarine Peninsula, and it will "open up opportunities in the tourism, hospitality and logistics sectors".

The Spirit of Tasmania's new passenger terminal at Geelong will be operating from spring. (Supplied: Spirit of Tasmania)

The Corio Quay will also able to accommodate two larger Spirit of Tasmania vessels which are set to be built by Finnish shipbuilder RMC.

The new vessels, slated to replace TT-Line's existing fleet, are expected to start sailing next year and in 2024. 

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