Cruisin' on the Interislander & The Warratahs
The Warratahs came back to help us celebrate 60 years of crossing Cook Strait.
They gave an epic performance onboard the Kaitaki on Saturday 5 November on the 2:15 pm sailing from Picton to Wellington.
The song or more to the point, jingle
For many Kiwis of a certain age, as soon as they hear "Interislander" they are instantly reminded of the lyrics from the 1990 TV advertisement "Cruisin' on the Interislander".
Written by one of the creative team at DDB Needham, it become the centrepiece of an advertising campaign in the early 1990's that convinced Kiwis that Interislander was an experience worth sharing.
The Warratahs not only sang the jingle but featured in the advertisement, and a remake in 1998.
The song became so popular that 30+ years on, the band still get asked to sing it at gigs.
The very recognisable tune, sometimes sung by others, has featured in one way or another in Interislander ads ever since - and may come back again in the not too distant future!
“I’m cruising on the Interislander. Taking my time, I’m feeling fine. Cruising on the Interislander. Sailing to the other side”. Warratahs, 1990.
The Lyrics
Next time you are on the Interislander have a singalong:
I packed my bags
I've turned the key
Can't get away too soon
Hand me my hat
I'm ready to go
So many things to see and do
Cruisin' On The Interislander
Takin' my time, I'm feeling fine
Cruisin' On The Interislander
I'm sailin' to the other side
Why'd I wait so long
To make my move
I should've gone long ago
Cos life's too short, to hang around
And I've been hangin' round here too long
I'm cruisin' on The Interislander
Takin' my time, I'm feeling fine
Cruisin' On The Interislander
I'm sailin' to the other side
I'm on my way, I'm going home
To see my friends and my family
Yeah I'm gettin' away
And I just wanna say
There the ones that mean most to me
So I've packed my bags
I've turned the key
Can't get away too soon
Hey, hand me my hat
I'm ready to go
So many things to see and do
I'm cruisin' on The Interislander
Takin' my time, I'm feeling fine
Cruisin' On The Interislander
Sailin' to the other side
I'm cruisin' on The Interislander
I'm off to see my mother
Have you met my brother
Yip I'll have another
What a way to start a holiday!
Sailin' to the other side
Cruisin' on The Interislander
I'm takin' my time, I'm feeling fine
Cruisin' On The Interislander
I'm sailin' to the other side
Find out more:
NZ Onscreen - Cruising on the Interislander and the Warratahs