Bay of Islands Cape Brett 'Hole in the Rock' Cruise

Bay of Islands, New Zealand

This is the most popular cruise in the Bay for a good reason! The modern high speed catamaran escorts you in comfort around the Bay, past sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and the many varied island landscapes as you make your way out to the Cape Brett Lighthouse.

You will then pass through the famous Cape Brett "Hole in the Rock" at Motukokako Island and on to view the majestic Grand Cathedral Cave.

The crew share with you local history and ecology and you will often see a variety of marine wildlife including Whales, Seals, Dolphins, Penguins, and other sea and bird life.

You'll visit one of the bay's most beautiful islands where you can swim and snorkel or relax on the beach and take in the magic of the island. Optional extras include a 20 minute Nautilus Submarine Adventure (Adult NZ$10 or Child NZ$5, payable direct). Also choose to stay on the island longer with an optional extension to return at 4:30pm or 5:30pm (NZ$10, payable direct).

Please note, during the winter months (June, July and August), the afternoon departure is approximately 3 hours in duration, returning one hour earlier to Russell and Paihia and does not include a stopover on Urupukapuka Island.

Highlights:

• Navigate the famous 'Hole in the Rock'
• See marine wildlife such as Dolphins and Penguins

USD $72.05

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Barbara C	February 2012
We were scheduled to arrive by cruise ship via tendered boats. The seas were so rough that the tender boats could not be deployed. Sadly, we missed the tour, but I wanted to advise potential customers that we received a full and prompt refund following one email request.

Review by: Radley W	March 2011
Everyone visiting New Zealand should take this tour Very informative. Crew very pleasant, helpful and informative. Was overcast but fine. On a sunny day magical would describe the experience. Today was wonderful

Review by: Philip G	March 2011
Very enjoyable trip.

Review by: Glenn P	January 2011
The tour operator waited until everyone was seated on the boat before advising that the water was too rough to visit the Hole in the Rock on an otherwise perfect sunny summers day. Being the afternoon cruise, the operator could have disclosed this as passengers arrived rather than a considerable time later as the boat was departing. Most of the next four hours was spent cruising around essentially the same islands repeatedly. If not for sighting of a pod of dolphins this cruise would have been a total waste of time. This was clearly deliberate and the operator expects you to stay aboard (as everyone did), but if you find yourself in this situation get-off and ask them to reschedule immediately as per their "guarantee".

Review by: Donald M	January 2011
Good cruise, friendly staff. Recommended.

Review by: Choo-Weng H	January 2011
Well organise, well done

Review by: Buddy M	January 2011
Although the weather wasn't the best, it rained for part of the trip, this was a very good tour. There was food and drink on board that you had to pay for. It was a little crowded of course; they try to fill the boat up completely but we were one of the first on board so we got some great seats. The scenery was great although the fog made it impossible to see the lighthouse. The ride through the hole in the rock(twice) was excellent. I didn't actually think the boat would fit but it did easily. On the way back we stopped at an island where they let us off for about an hour. There wasn't much to do that you could do in an hour. The tour company of course had a tent and a snack bar setup to sell you food and drink. On the boat, we shall a couple of pods of dolphins and that was great. Overall, I'm glad we took this tour.