Shoalhaven River Cruise was founded in 1996 by Norm Schulz.  Norm used a vessel called the Christine J which was built in 1947 in Forster on the mid-north coast of NSW. It was originally called the Alma G II and was used to ferry passengers from the Coastline to the Pacific Highway prior to a bridge being built in 1959. The Christine J had undertaken some transformations over the year from passenger ferry to fishing boat and having the top ripped off and being converted to a trawler. In the early 1980s, the vessel was brought to the Shoalhaven and the cabin area was reconstructed.  Then the vessel was put into service on the Shoalhaven River.

The Christine J

Norm continues to Skipper the vessel on occasion and is a wealth of information about the Shoalhaven River, and the Shoalhaven region.

2005 saw a change of ownership for Shoalhaven River Cruise with brothers, Michael and John Grech, purchasing the business and the Christine J. The brothers were semi-retired when they took over the business and decided to run things on a part time basis and provide river cruises for groups and for functions.

The Shoalhaven Explorer

The Shoalhaven Explorer was purchased in 2007 and has been employed by Shoalhaven River Cruise to offer relaxed and comfortable cruises along the Shoalhaven River. This vessel is licensed to carry up to 60 passengers and provides the opportunity for passengers to explore the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Rivers in a comfortable environment.

After the Christine J was replaced by the Shoalhaven Explorer it was sold in 2016. Unfortunately, the Christine J sank twice in the Shoalhaven River in 2017 and was eventually removed and destroyed.

Current Owners

In 2017, Tim and Jen Went purchased Shoalhaven River Cruise and plan to provide a more diverse offering of cruise options to allow more passengers access to the beauty on offer on the Shoalhaven River.

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