Rakiura Charters Discovery Cruise
New Discovery Cruise is a great way to see Rakiura by the sea
Thanks to Matt of Rakiura Charters for giving me the chance to experience their new boat, the Piakea, and their discovery cruise which takes in the nearby islands and the inlet.
It was a beautiful day so luckily I had the time to go on the trip. Starting at Halfmoon Bay wharf mid morning we headed out to Bench Island and were given a great commentary along the way. I have been on the island for 10 years now and I learnt plenty about the history of Harolds bay, Lonneckers and Leask bays, and Ackers cottage and how they all came to be. We stopped off along the way to feed the birds and everyone was delighted by the turn out of albatross.
We headed into the inlet for a tour around Faith, Hope an Charity and again I learnt plenty. After a stop at the whalers base at Millers it was off to the aqua farms in Big Glory bay. I haven't been in there to see what goes on and that was an excellent insight to the activities that are a big part of the Rakiura economy. It is a big set up and seeing it in operation puts a whole new perspective on its part in the islands future.
We were away for about 3 hours which was a good amount of time and the cruise was excellent value.
This is a definite option if you are looking to explore the island by sea. Seeing the island from a boat gives a great perspective of he scope and size of Rakiura. Make a picnic lunch if the trip spans the lunch period and then you can enjoy things in style.
Check out Rakiura Charters for many boating options when you are on the island.
This is an opinion piece on Rakiura activities and we are not paid to endorse any operators or activities.