Port To Port Cruises And Wildlife Tours

28/10/2024

It was hard not to drool, to see all the Port Otago work boats lined up today at Port Otago open day!🤤
The public could ride the tugs and the pilot boat. There were tours to go aboard the container ship, into the cranes, the dredgers were open for viewing and much more!
It's the only time you'd EVER see all these work boats all at once!
There was no better place to be today!
Oh, except onboard Sootychaser in amongst all of the action when we called past later, while on a cruise .
Workboat heaven!! 😇

21/10/2024

Women's retreat on Quarantine Island Kamau Taurua this past week, with Harriet Muir!
I was honoured to be asked again to transport these amazing ladies to the island for a W.E.E. Treat. (Women's Empowerment Experience retreat).
The final moments at the wharf on our return pretty much summed up some of what these women walk away with, at the end of their 3 days. New friendships, courage, solidarity, acceptance, determination, to name a few things.
On our return from the island after getting off the boat, a phone gets dropped in the water as we are unloading luggage on the wharf.
16 ladies gather round the distraught but gracefully accepting phone owner and ideas, support and brainstorming start flowing.
A pair of goggles are produced and one of the ladies courageously offers to jump in the 12 degree water to look for and hopefully retrieve the phone. Like a real life Wonder Woman, she transforms into her swim suit on the wharf in seconds, confidently ignoring two lots of fisherman currently trailering their boats nearby as she does so, then promptly jumps in.
We are all giving ideas from the sidelines on where we think the phone might be, in the murky, cold, deep water.
A few seconds later, triumphant Wonder Woman breaks the surface with phone held high above her head!
Big applause, yelling, laughter, hugging and high fives all round!
(Men trailering boats couldn't help but smile, I noticed! We did make quite a commotion!)
A perfect end to the empowered women's Retreat (organised and led by Dunedin's Harriet Muir) 🙏🙏
Of you'd like info on how to join Harriet's next retreat in April 2025, email [email protected] and I'll pass your details on! 🤗

20/10/2024

Going to Port Otago Open Day?
Tug boat and pilot boat rides, container ship tours, dredges, workboats, family fun, food and so much more!
Get immersed in all things maritime!
Head across from Portobello at 9:45am, to Port Chalmers and arrive in time for a 10am event start.
Come back at either 12:55pm or 3:00pm from Port Chalmers.
See booking link for ferry booking and port Otago link to book boat rides on open day!

https://www.iticket.co.nz/go-to/port-otago-open-day

https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/417916/ferry-portobello-to-port-chalmers

09/10/2024

🤗Last few days of the holidays
Two great events to go!

🏝️ Quarantine Island Kite Day!
Bring a kite along on Saturday 12th October to fly at Quarantine Island Kamau Taurua
$25 adults,10child , return.
https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/665103/quarantine-island-kite-day-heritage-festival

✋ Touch Tanks at the former aquarium, New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and boat trip. On Friday 11th only.
Touch, see, learn!
Adults $46, children $28
https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/417884/touch-tanks-tours-at-marine-studies-centre-and-cruise

Click links for info and bookings!

05/10/2024

Be sure to watch One News tonight, for a wee story on the Urgent Ferry, these last few days 🤗
🌧️

04/10/2024

Otago Peninsula and Port Chalmers residents!
Saturday morning, Oct 5th I will be running a ferry into Dunedin from Portobello at 9am departure.
As someone needs to connect to an international flight.
Please text or call me on 020 416 24250 if you need to come too for whatever reason. There will be a cost involved as running the boat comes at a cost to me.
Please call or text me to discuss as I am trying to make that cost as low as possible. Today we split the cost between three passengers. The more people I take the lower the cost for everyone.
Also available will be a ferry from town (steamer basin) to Portobello/Otago Peninsula and Port Chalmers if anyone is stuck in town etc
Time to be determined as needs arrise.

Please no Facebook messages for this as I'm up to my eyeballs in admin and running around and Facebook messages are hard to manage!
🙏
Rachel
Keep warm and safe

03/10/2024

Otago Peninsula and Port Chalmers residents. Does anyone urgently need to get to town today? Get in touch if you do , as I am considering doing a run if there are enough people who need it.
02041624250.
Please no Facebook messages for this, as they're hard to manage when I'm on the run!
Thanks
Rachel

23/09/2024

On this weekend! Limited spaces!
Do you know someone who might not be on Facebook but might be interested in this one off expert talk and return ferry to Quarantine Island?
Let them know it's on so they don't miss out!
It will be a fascinating insight into the history and construction of the old ships that are on the shore, at Quarantine Island!

https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/665571/expert-talk-the-construction-and-deconstruction-of-harbour-hulks-quarantine-island

22/09/2024

We'll be discussing the royal albatross chick on The Breeze Dunedin 98.2FM at around 9:45am this morning . Here's a link to listen live 🤗
https://onlineradiobox.com/nz/thebreezefm982/?cs=nz.thebreezefm982&played=1
👂🤗

Listen to The Breeze FM online

22/09/2024

Some words about the albatross rescue on 19th September. From DOC ranger, Sharyn:)

"Hello Everyone

Fledge Rescue

On the 19th of September 2024, E03 a female toroa was sighted by the tour on the Port-to-Port wildlife cruise. Witnessing a fledging is not a common occurrence and this was very exciting for the tour.

Later in the day a toroa on the water of the Otago Harbour entrance was struggling to get into the air. Toroa need the ocean swell to get airborne so the decision to pick up the recently fledged chick and them back to the colony at Pukekura was made.

Once again, the Port-to-Port vessel, Sootychaser, headed out to the Harbour entrance, this time with a DOC ranger and a staff member from the Royal Albatross Centre, a large crate and a net.

After a tricky capture and being secured in the crate, it was confirmed that this was the same female who had been sighted from the Sootychaser in the morning.

E03 was transported back to Pukekura and released for her to head out to the ocean again. Two days later during stronger winds she fledged successfully.

Now E03 is a juvenile, she will spend the next 4 to 5 years on the ocean before returning to Pukekura to look for a mate and breed. She carries a GeoLocation Sensor on one of her bands, which on returning we will be able to download 3 years’ worth of location data to show us where in the world she has been.

Without the teamwork between Port to Port, the Royal Albatross Centre and DOC staff it is likely that she would not have had the chance to circumnavigate the Southern Oceans.

Thanks team!
Sharyn Broni
Ranger, Department of Conservation "

See this link for the royal cam and discussion!

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/royal-cam-discussion/

21/09/2024

This is exciting! Anyone can walk out to Boiler Point, Near Careys Bay too see these. Part of Taiaroa Head, Otago Harbour and NZ history! There is still one gun that remains at Taiaroa Head -the Armstrong Disappearing gun. These are some of the 'smaller' guns/cannons that once existed there too.

It has been more than a century since they stood guard over the Otago coastline at Taiaroa Head. Now, two large-rifled muzzle-loading Otago Coastal...

20/09/2024

Yesterday on our wildlife cruise we were lucky enough to witness a Northern Royal Albatross Chick fledge from Taiaroa Head!
We were later told this was a female albatross. She took to the sky tentatively, with lots of wingbeats, which is unusual for an adult. They normally prefer to glide. So we were immediately suspicious that it could be a chicks first flight!
She landed and seemed to be trying to figure out what to do next!
This will be her real home for the rest of her life! Visiting land only for courtship and breeding purposes!
See video for footage and a little bit of info as to why this was so special to see!
https://youtu.be/jPi5S5_SOdQ?si=JnrxEXdNHnUTOBu-

Thank you Nikki, Kim and Holly for the footage and coming along!! 🤗🤗

Viewed from MV Sootychaser at Taiaroa Head on September 19th 2024.On a Port to Port cruises and wildlife tours , tour.Footage by passenger Nicola Gordon-Smith

16/09/2024

EXPERT TALK!
Those who are curious about the historic derelict ships on Quarantine Island!

Former harbour ferry and sistership to the Earnslaw lays in her final resting place since 1920s/1930s, along with Oreti, former bulk carrier. These are 2 of some 50 ships that have been scuttled on the Otago Harbour and are still visible at low tide.
Local maritime historian Charles Clark leads a discussion and talk as he dissects the historic building methods used back then, as we view the ships, partially exposed on the shore.
There will be some free time on the island after the talk and we enter the historic Quarantine Quarters too, while we are here.

This event is for anyone curious about the highly visible remains of the two old ships at Quarantine Island; how, where and from what the vessels were built, their sailing histories and how they and others in the harbour came to be abandoned as trash. Both were built well over 100 years ago, with Waikana being a slightly scaled down version of the celebrated TSS Earnslaw.

A one of a kind tour and experience, not to be missed.
Bookings are best done online using link below.
Or 020 416 24250 🤗
See you there!

https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/665571/expert-talk-the-construction-and-deconstruction-of-harbour-hulks-quarantine-island

08/09/2024

A beautiful photo from a few weeks ago, from a passenger.
And a great wee article about the cycleway from recent passenger Rosemary!
Who wrote about and was supporting local businesses along the way!
Many thanks ladies! 🙏

https://womentravelnz.com/port-to-port-cycle-ride-in-dunedin-te-aka-otakou/

23/08/2024

The best trips are created unequally!
What gets me stupidly excited are the large ships! Along with tug boats and pilot boats! On one day only, we have a former large ships Captain onboard Sootychaser, to explain how it feels to be a container ship captain!
So on father's day I invite you to join me for this amazing one of a kind cruise!
'Ships Captain Onboard!'
Departure from Port Chalmers or Portobello at 4:30pm, former ships Captain Mike Webb joins us to answer your burning questions and share his stories and experiences.
Limited seats!
(You don't need to have or be a dad to come! Everyone is welcome!)
Details and booking link here:
https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/661921/ships-captain-on-board-and-container-ship-viewing

04/08/2024

Sea lions seem to be the theme this week!
Heres a young male visiting Back Beach, Port Chalmers today! To the amusement of passers by and cyclists getting off the ferry 😅 🦭

31/07/2024

This morning, we explored Dunedin's extinct volcano! On a tour especially for schools!
These slightly shorter tours than our standard (especially for schools) are packed full of info and imagination, but in a 30 minute session. 'Volcanic expert' and qualified teacher, Jenna Lee Pfeifer explains the layers and rocks as we travel through the heart of it.
My favourite concern from the children on this tour, was that the rock samples that Jenna Lee handed around might still be really hot! 😅🤗
Bless them!
I think next time we should pre-warm the rocks for a little bit of drama and a giggle.
🪨 🌋
[email protected]
020 416 24250

28/07/2024

Recreational fisherman-Here's a question for you, if you fish out from Taiaroa Head or beyond.
🪨 Tow Rock in particular.
I've heard a few reports (in the carpark at Back Beach, where all the most important reports are made! 😅) that quite regularly there have been 4 new Zealand sea lions taking fish off hooks as they come up.
I'm curious to know when and how many sea lions people see here at once?
There must be a gang (herd) of them who have learnt this is the place to be, when the boats show up! 🦭