New Zealand’s air and sea borders will open from August 1, allowing tourists to again enjoy one of the world’s great natural playgrounds.
The move has delighted New Zealand’s superyacht industry. New Zealand has spent the past two years expanding superyacht offerings across its marine destinations, including additional inner city berthage in the heart of Auckland’s CBD and enhanced refit facilities.
There’s now a new 820-tonne travel lift in the central city, adding to existing 1,500-tonne and 600-tonne slipways and a 181m dry dock. Central Auckland boasts 75 superyacht berths with 40 berths for yachts between 25 and 40m LOA, and 30 berths capable of accommodating yachts between 40 and 100m. For the largest yachts – those over 100m – Auckland has five berths.
Elsewhere, Bay of Islands Marina now offers casual berthage to visiting cruising yachts and a new 120m superyacht berth. There’s also an expanded superyacht refit facility in Whangarei and a newly enlarged Vessel Works haul-out yard in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.
Visiting foreign-flagged yachts benefit from a superyachtfriendly framework that includes newly completed refit facilities, a 24-month Temporary Import Entry (TIE), and GSTexempt refit services and supplies
The reopening of New Zealand completes the traditional South Pacific loop for yachts, with most favouring a journey through the islands of the South Pacific and on to New Zealand, where they can refit, bunker, provision, explore and charter. Many yachts use New Zealand as a base over several seasons, before resuming their onward journeys.
SUPERYACHT DESTINATION
Through 2020 and 2021, the New Zealand superyacht industry turned inward to come back stronger with a more refined offering once the country reopened. Auckland’s expanded superyacht refit facilities now offer a refit experience unrivalled anywhere in the region for its proximity to the central city, travel lift and haul-out facilities, range of on-site marine trades, sustainable water treatment plant, hardstands and on-site work spaces, both in-water and on land. Additional refit facilities to the country’s north and south provide extra capacity.
Visiting superyachts will find safe and secure berths designed specifically for them, plus thousands of bays and islets to explore in the north and mountains and ancient fiords in the south.
In 2023, the world’s most-southerly superyacht regatta, the NZ Millennium Cup, will return. Taking place in the Bay of Islands, it’s a four-day celebration of camaraderie and fierce competition, set to a backdrop of daily dolphin vanguards and relaxed hospitality in one of the world’s great natural playgrounds. BNZ
