Sailing

Sailing

New Zealanders' passion for sailing is revealed by the huge number of craft out on the harbour at weekends and evenings, particularly in summer. Auckland is known as the 'City of Sails' and the opportunities there for the experienced sea-adventurer as well as the timid beginner are unrivalled. Day trips on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour are available year-round. Four-to-six berth yachts can be chartered for cruises of several days or weeks, and yachting schools are keen to impart their wisdom to visitors on short courses. Other destinations that offer charter yachts and excellent cruising grounds are the Bay of Islands north of Auckland, and Picton in the Marlborough Sounds, an extensive area of fiords at the head of the South Island. Many idyllic out-of-the-way places are best accessed by boat - whether through sail or engine power - which provides a unique way to explore the country.

Auckland City has the highest boat ownership per capita in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Beyond the beaches and bays of the Waitemata Harbour is the immensity of the Hauraki Gulf, where islands of every shape and size are waiting to be discovered. On Anniversary Day, Auckland’s yachts come out to race in New Zealand’s largest regatta. Photo credit: Tourism New Zealand		The city of Auckland has the largest boat and yacht ownership per capita in the world. As a visitor, you can source almost any kind of sailing experience. Blast around the harbour on a genuine America’s Cup yacht; take a leisurely luncheon cruise on a sedate motor sailer; or charter a classic schooner and slide up the harbour in style. Photo credit: Gareth Eyres/Exposure