Rising tourist tide spurs boat upgrade

A new boat has made a popular Marlborough Sounds destination better able to cope with the influx of tourists in Picton.

Lochmara Lodge’s old boat was sold and the new water taxi, a ‘‘Cadillac’’ with a convertible top, named Wairua, had more than doubled the businesses passenger capacity.

With the cruise season starting to ramp up, and as a popular school camp destination well-known for its environmental advocacy and education, the increased capacity was being welcomed by both visitors and staff.

Lochmara Lodge marketing and education facilitator Bruce Anderson said Picton was becoming more of a tourist destination.

‘‘We have people lingering a lot more,’’ Anderson said.

‘‘There are more choices of things to do at Lochmara and that’s attracted a wider range of people and is supporting the greater capacity.

‘‘When you have 4000 people, you struggle.’’

Earlier this week, the Ovation of the Seas, a Quantum-class cruise ship that carries more than 4000 people made an unscheduled stop in the Marlborough Sounds.

However, Anderson said upgrading the boat wasn’t a direct result of the increasing cruise ship tourism.

‘‘We get a lot of support from the locals,’’ Anderson said.

‘‘We’ve got a huge amount of goodwill for our marine work and environmental advocacy.

Schools from throughout the South Island were making Lochmara Lodge a destination due to it’s wide range of educational activities and marine and native wildlife.

The lodge’s attractions included an underwater observatory, a sealife ‘touch tank’, a kakariki breeding programme, kunekune pigs, llamas, alpacas and free to use kayaks and standup paddleboards.

‘‘We have 10 schools lined up to come out,’’ Anderson said.

‘‘Most school classes have around 20 kids, it was difficult for us to take a single class.

‘‘Now we can put two classes of kids on there.’’

Skipper Ken Rowe, who was filling in for Lochmara Lodge’s usual skipper, Shane Olsen, said upgrading the boat made economic sense.

‘‘It’s actually more fuel efficient than our old boat and it’s more stable with its multihull.

‘‘It does 30 knots if you push the stick,’’ Rowe said.

The new vessel had been operating for just over two months, just in time for the busy summer season.

MATT BROWN/ STUFF Skipper Ken Rowe described the new boat as a Cadillac as the roof is able to be taken off like a pop-top car.

MATT BROWN/ STUFF The lodges new boat, the Wairua, docked to deliver passengers to the ecolodge.