About Cruise Te Anau
Welcome to Cruise Te Anau, owned and operated by myself, Peter Kirker.
When you join me on a cruise you not only get the personal attention of the owner but you also get to step aboard a classic New Zealand hand built vessel.
I was Born & Raised in Invercargill and spent many years holidaying in Te Anau, where we had a holiday home.
In 2004 I decided to have a change, moving to Te Anau to setup Cruise Te Anau.
Like most Kiwis I have a love of the land and this special Fiordland area and Lake Te Anau in particular.
Now I get to cruise this incredible lake regularly and I invite you to share my passion and knowledge on a cruise that is simply unique ~ you will be treated like visiting friends and I will look forward to showing you some of the secret corners of Lake Te Anau and the South Fiord.
Our motto…..”Arrive as Strangers – Depart as Friends“
MV Carousel
I found Carousel in Tauranga where she had been built in 1967/68 and spent many years as a charter & game fishing vessel working out of Tauranga & Mercury Bay in the Coromandel.
We had our first adventure steaming the vessel from Tauranga to Bluff, this is about the same distance as Tasmania to Bluff. Carousel was loaded onto a trailer & travelled by road for the last leg of her journey to Lake Te Anau
I’m happy to share more about our journey to get the vessel here, just ask me when your are on our cruise if you are interested.
About Te Anau & the Lake
Te Anau is a smaller town with a relaxed pace where you need to spend more than 1 night to appreciate. Te Anau is the best base from where one can visit the lake and the surroundings area, and it is the main visitor base for Fiordland National Park.
Te Anau is the ideal place to base yourself to visit Milford &/or Doubtful Sound, there are many smaller group day bus/van tours to to Milford Sound, it is only 240km (150 miles) return from Te Anau – unlike the 650km (400 miles) return bus tour from Queenstown, (13+ hour trip with 9 hours sitting on the bus).
You need to plan to spend at least 3 days in Te Anau.
The lake covers an area of 344 km², making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand and the largest in the South Island. It is the largest lake in Australasia by fresh water volume and a with a maximum depth of 417 metres is the 3rd deepest lake in New Zealand.
Te Anau is home to many lodges, hotels, motels and campgrounds, so there are plenty of accommodation options to choose from.
There is a great selection of restaurants to suit all tastes.
The town also offers 2 supermarkets and 7-day/week shopping opportunities where you can find high quality apparel, gifts and souvenirs.
There are a full range of services available, including ATMs, service stations, rental cars and medical centre.