Orca rescuer’s new five-star life
He saved an orca, and was stood down as harbourmaster for doing so, but Whitianga’s Matthew Collicott has proven success is the best revenge.
Having a foiling catamaran is an added bonus.
In December 2016, Collicott heard reports an orca had been caught in a crayfish pot and the Department of Conservation was unable to help the creature.
‘‘They had known about it for 12 hours and done nothing,’’ he said. ‘‘They were going to leave it there overnight. It would have died.’’
Collicott managed to cut the whale loose but was chewed out by his superiors for his efforts. ‘‘Someone had to do it.’’ Leaving the bureaucracy behind, Collicott bought a yellow catamaran called Fully Loaded and started Boom Sailing.
His charter tours have become something of legend with nothing but 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor.
‘‘Sailing is the ideal way to take in the Coromandel,’’ he says.
‘‘Not only is it serene and peaceful, but it also helps you avoid all the hustle and bustle of travelling by road and the parking issues that come with visiting popular destinations, like Cathedral Cove.
‘‘Being able to snorkel surrounded by snapper you can almost catch by hand is an added bonus, as is the beer, wine and organic teas and juices provided afterwards.’’
His guests agree.
‘‘I’ve had 100 TripAdvisor reviews and not one has been less than five stars,’’ he said.
‘‘That’s huge. I don’t know anyone that has gotten to 100 with only 5-star reviews. It shows people really enjoy what we offer.’’
Ryan and Jean Eddy, from Seattle, decided to sail with Collicott after seeing the TripAdvisor reviews and were amazed at the experience.
‘‘We look for catamaran trips wherever we travel and this one was amazing,’’ Ryan said. Collicott’s secret?
‘‘It’s all about over delivering on expectations,’’ he said.
As popularity grew, Collicott had another idea to cater for the more, adrenaline-fuelled, sailors out there who want to literally fly over the waves.
‘‘I’ve purchased a training catamaran used by Team New Zealand,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a piece of New Zealand history right up there with Steinlager 2 and the goal is to give people the true foil experience.’’
Over the last eight months, Collicott has been making adjustments to the craft to make it suitable for charter.
‘‘Fully Loaded is a more laid back, chill out and have wine experience,’’ he said.
‘‘That boat is hold on for dear life. A real thrill ride. We’ve had people changing their itineraries to ride that boat.
‘‘There will be nothing like it in New Zealand as there are no opportunities to ride on foiling catamarans unless you own your own or come here.’’
‘‘Sailing is the ideal way to take in the Coromandel.’’