Rock the boat!

Posted by Ruth Atherley on June 16, 2009 at 12:30 pm

One of the most interesting tour operators that I met at TRENZ (and that is saying a great deal because I met quite a few very engaging people with great tourism services and products) was Sarah and Jonny of The Rock. This is something that I really, really, really want to do.

This is an overnight cruise on a converted car ferry around the Bay of Islands and it was created to provide you with a special time in this beautiful area. Sarah and Jonny were so warm and welcoming at their booth at TRENZ that I can only imagine how amazing it would be on their boat. Making this trip an exceptional experience matters to them and that comes across so clearly when speaking with them.

You are met at the Paihia Wharf at 5 p.m. and after introductions and a safety briefing, you get set up in your cabins and the boat leaves the dock. For a couple of hours, you have the opportunity to fish (and the lures are set for you if you like) as you tour about the Bay of Islands. There is skeet shooting (you can win a free drink!), you can sit back and just enjoy the scenery or even play a game of pool. I was told that on almost every cruise, you have the opportunity to see the largest and friendliest of the dolphin family – the bottlenose dolphins.

If you are successful fishing, and choose to keep the fish, you can have it for dinner – along with mussels and other delicious foods. Then you can go night kayaking if you would like. On dark nights, you can see unique phosphorescent fish lighting up the water, it is an incredible sight. On full moon evenings, paddling under the millions of stars in the moonlight is almost equally as impressive. For the daring, you can go night swimming in the phosphorescence where millions of tiny lights radiate off your limbs as you swim, it’s like swimming in “fairy dust.” Then you can climb back into the boat and hang out at the cozy bar getting to know Jonny and Sarah and the rest of the guests onboard.

After a nice night, lulled to sleep by the calm movement of the sea and the fresh air, you can watch the sunrise. See it either from your bed or, if you are an early riser, from the deck. Rumour has it that if you are an early riser, you might be fortunate enough to get to see a few extra things because Jonny is no sleep-in-type guy either and he might take you for a kayak tour while the others get in a few extra snores.

At 8 a.m., the breakfast bell is rung and a traditional NZ breakfast of hot oats, fruits, cereal, tea and coffee is served. Then you get to explore the islands further. Sarah and Jonny are very well versed in the historic and cultural aspects of the area and can provide some interesting background and information on the area, the wildlife and the people that live there. If the sea co-operates, you can go snorkeling and find New Zealand’s famous green-lip mussels. The fish are so trusting and friendly here that you can feed them mussels by hand! But don’t give up all the mussels, you might want to keep a few to steam and eat on the way home. The snorkeling locations are so clear with deep drop offs in lush subtropical kelp gardens, you can see rays, moray eels, octopus and crayfish.

There is so much to do – snorkel, kayak, sit on the boat and enjoy the view, and walk around the land areas where the boat anchors. It sounds like an incredible experience.

Don’t forget to check out our Flickr page for some photos that Jonny and Sarah provided to us or check their website for more information.