Port To Port Cruises And Wildlife Tours

Port To Port Cruises And Wildlife Tours Specialising in wildlife cruises, cycle & passenger ferry & family experiences on the Otago Harbour.

Join owner/operator Rachel McGregor, onboard her custom built vessel Sootychaser, for a unique harbour/oceanic experience not to be missed! Bathroom onboard
Heated cabin
Seating for 20

BOOKING ESSENTIAL

Guess who visited and came onboard Sootychaser today?NZ musician and presenter Anika Moa preformed yesterday at Forsyth ...
14/04/2025

Guess who visited and came onboard Sootychaser today?
NZ musician and presenter Anika Moa preformed yesterday at Forsyth Barr Stadium, as part of the Wild Dunedin Festival.
But today she had some fun of her own with her family, in the cosy cabin of Sootychaser for a Mini Harbour Tour.
They weren't put off by the rain or wind, there was still alot to see and learn about, birds, boats, volcanic rocks, shipwrecks (hulks), cannons, pilot and tug boats, ships and more.
It was a pleasure to host Anika and family for their first Otago Harbour boating experience 🤗

This fun bunch, had just been for a private Mini Tour on Sootychaser. We rediscovered them again with the next group a s...
12/04/2025

This fun bunch, had just been for a private Mini Tour on Sootychaser.
We rediscovered them again with the next group a short time afterwards, making their own fun, riding one of the historic items we talk about on the tours! 😅😉

It was fun watch this be put together last week!In just 5 days , at Back Beach carpark, this 60 foot catamaran was piece...
06/04/2025

It was fun watch this be put together last week!
In just 5 days , at Back Beach carpark, this 60 foot catamaran was pieced back together and launched!
ODT article explains the details.
The vessel was built in 1995, spent time on lake Wakatipu (Queenstown) for a number of years, then in Sawyers Bay on the hard. Now back on the water and soon departing for Fiji, with a crew of 8.
It's first taste of salt water!
Good luck to the crew! 🍀🌊🏝️

We now carry yachts on board Sootychaser 😅Not really !Who came down to Back Beach to see this happening over the last we...
03/04/2025

We now carry yachts on board Sootychaser 😅
Not really !
Who came down to Back Beach to see this happening over the last week?
Story to come soon....

What's so special about a White Caped albatross with Mount Cargill in the background?!😮White Capped Albatross can be see...
01/04/2025

What's so special about a White Caped albatross with Mount Cargill in the background?!😮

White Capped Albatross can be seen near the entrance on Otago Harbour at times. Occasionally IN the harbour, though they don't actually touch land here as they LIVE on the ocean.
And when they do come shore it's to islands more then 500 nautical miles away!

Around 90% of an albatross's life will be spent on the ocean, flying above it or sitting on top of it. They only go to land for breeding purposes.

It is unusual for albatross to come this far down the harbour. It had probably followed a fishing boat in.

We think there might not be another photo in existence of a White Capped Albatross with Mt Cargill behind it! That's special!!!!

We challenge you to prove us wrong!!

Photo credit Port to Port Cruises and Wildlife Tours passenger John Burke, Sunday 30th March 2025

Well that's a familiar shed and a nice surprise!Thanks David Lont for sending in some beautiful photos, including one of...
27/03/2025

Well that's a familiar shed and a nice surprise!
Thanks David Lont for sending in some beautiful photos, including one of the Port to Port boatshed!
❤️

We still have a few spaces left on our first and last Pilot Onboard and Cruise Ship Viewing cruise, this season!One of t...
24/03/2025

We still have a few spaces left on our first and last Pilot Onboard and Cruise Ship Viewing cruise, this season!
One of the biggest cruise ships to visit our port-Ovation of the Seas- is in Port on March 28th.
And we have former a large ship's pilot onboard Sootychaser, to tell you the secrets of what goes on onboard and in the bridge of large ships like this!
And to be available in person, to answer your questions!
We will view from the water, as this giant sails past us!
You'll learn about and see tug boats and the pilot boat too!

The seats won't last, on this special cruise.
Book and view details using below link:

https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/307809/pilot-on-board-and-cruise-ship-viewing

I don't think we have ever had such a variety of locals and special cruises available all at once!Click this link below ...
15/03/2025

I don't think we have ever had such a variety of locals and special cruises available all at once!
Click this link below to browse and have a look and see what we have available over the next couple of months, including the school holidays!
https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/catalog/396491/locals-tours

Many of these I make available during school holidays, but they can also be available on request! Or for your own special events, parties, or even for schools.
So if you would like to go one of these cruises but it doesn't fall on a date that suits you, please send us a message and we might be able to arrange it at a time that does!

Touch tanks are not listed here yet, (April 13th) but once confirmed it will soon be listed. Feel free to contact me to be put on our list for that for that moment, [email protected]

By the way,
This photo was sent to me from a lovely local.
I love when people send me photos they've taken that are real and non photoshopped.
Nothing fancy or elaborate, they are just the way things really are! And often taken at a time when people are feeling relaxed and happy! 🤗
You know who you are! Thank you,! 🤗 ❤️

We'd not quite got around to doing this again ,this season !But we're going straight in for the BIG GUY!!!Join us onboar...
15/03/2025

We'd not quite got around to doing this again ,this season !
But we're going straight in for the BIG GUY!!!
Join us onboard Sootychaser, while we watch the largest cruise ship to visit Port Chalmers- The Ovation Of The Seas depart for the special one-off cruise!
We will also have a former ship's pilot on board Sootychaser to tell us all the secrets of what goes on in wheelhouse of a ship such as this!

March 28th departure from Port Chalmers at 5:30 p.m. or Portobello at 5:15 p.m.

Book online now so you don't miss out!

Last day of summer has sneaked up!!!🫣A few highs and lows of summer! 🌊 High- Being (shyly) told that the wildlife cruise...
27/02/2025

Last day of summer has sneaked up!!!🫣
A few highs and lows of summer! 🌊

High- Being (shyly) told that the wildlife cruise was the best part of the last three week holiday , for one lady today 🥹

Low-ALOT of fog last weekend, we didn't even spy an albatross on two trips in a row, of very heavy fog last week! Saw lots of other things but the albatross were not in sight!

High-A goofy group of friends from New Mexico and Idaho that made me laugh harder then I have in awhile.
We made out they were getting left on the island, courtesy of a joking suggestion of one of their friends.
Long story but great vibes and lots of laughing.
See pic.

Low-Not Alot of sun or warmth this summer!
I think we all hoped for a few warmer days!

High-Fur seals galore this summer! After a very quite fur seal viewing period, up until xmas when they all showed up again.
See pic from passenger/friend Ross H.

☀️
Thanks for being part of it! 🌊

Did you know the Otago Harbour is right in the middle of a extinct volcano?!See the great video on Dunedin's Extinct Vol...
19/02/2025

Did you know the Otago Harbour is right in the middle of a extinct volcano?!
See the great video on Dunedin's Extinct Volcano!
https://youtu.be/wnzmQC5kVDs?si=9MgNT2V5-YEJRWNd

In April, we are running our popular Dunedin's Extinct Volcano Tour again, to take you on an educational tour through the extinct volcano.
With expert Jenna-Lee Pfeifer on board she will talk about and point out all the different rock and lava layers.
See details and book with link below
https://porttoportcruises.rezdy.com/433217/exploring-dunedin-s-volcano

20 years ago I signed my first contract as a crew member onboard a large tourist launch.I'd come from an unsettled perso...
05/02/2025

20 years ago I signed my first contract as a crew member onboard a large tourist launch.
I'd come from an unsettled personal history and this was the thing to settle me down and forced me to start growing up.
1.5 years later I was skippering the vessel.
I always felt that my employers took a big punt on me and remain grateful for that first opportunity.
We used to carry up to 75 passengers at a time.
It's was a pretty big deal for me back then, at 23 years of age.
It took many years for me to feel like I was really up to the job, as there was so much to learn and so much responsibility.
Fast forward to present moment and I'm so happy to still be on the harbour and to still be working with passengers and the public. Though on my own boat 'Sootychaser'.

A former crew member I worked with in the early days, Suzanne came by this past week to check in and catch up .
(She also now runs her own tourism company in Ireland)
She is pictured on the right in the second photo.
(The other lady in the photo , on the left I still see once a year at a Christmas party. She crewed onboard the boat into her 70s and previously had featured in a David Attenborough documentary about the albatross.)
I'm lucky to still have those early connections, along with many others.
And I'm always grateful to the countless people who have helped me along the way.
I do often look back to remember and figure how this all happened!
🤗🙏🥰
Rachel

Do you know the Wellerman sea shanty?Did you know it was written about the Weller Brothers (whalers) and their employees...
02/02/2025

Do you know the Wellerman sea shanty?
Did you know it was written about the Weller Brothers (whalers) and their employees that once worked from Weller's Rock, at Otago Harbour entrance?
We go past here most days on Sootychaser.
When I mention it I find that most people have no idea!
Have a listen and see if you recognize the song 🎵

https://youtu.be/qP-7GNoDJ5c?si=Gu5HT0CsWhfoAlut

Address

837 Portobello Road
Dunedin
9014

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 6:30pm
Thursday 8am - 6:30pm
Friday 8am - 6:30pm
Saturday 8am - 6:30pm
Sunday 8am - 6:30pm

Telephone

+642041624250

Website

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About us.....

Our small staff of boat crew, shuttle drivers and office personel are extremely passionate about the local area and it's unique wildlife. Our guides have been fortunate enough to have been guiding and interacting with the local wildlife for many years. They have decades of experience between them. It is their pleasure to show case the area they love, to visitors. They know the best places to view wildlife . You can't beat local knowledge.

The boat, MV Sootychaser is a brand new (2018) custom build. With passenger comfort in mind, it has been specially designed to be able get up as close and personal with oceanic wildlife as is possible. It is the first boat of its kind to offer passenger services on Otago Harbour.

We look forward to welcoming visitors on board MV Sootychaser to show you the best of what Dunedin has to offer.