Your Business: Jet boat operation start of family tourism plan

Paul Macaulay of Auckland Adventure Jets strives to be the best at what he is doing. Photo / Richard Robinson.

Auckland's Waitemata Harbour now has two jet boat operations speeding around the bay making dramatic spins - just as has been done for years on the Shotover River in Queenstown.

Paul Macaulay, chief executive of Auckland Adventure Jet launched in early December at the Pier 3D pontoon next to the Auckland ferry building.

The Timaru man sold his farm to help finance the operation.

It was important to launch in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup.

"The location is fantastic. It's right next to party central, across the road from Britomart." And this is just the beginning of Macaulay's tourism ambitions for Auckland.

He is planning to launch two other family-targeted activities.

"They are both water based and are pretty exciting.

"We'll hopefully have one of them up and running by close to summer."

The timing is right, Macaulay believes.

"Travelling around various parts of the world, any major city on the water has got great water attractions."

And he points out, jet boats were after all invented in New Zealand.

His "Kiwi Class #2" jet boat was made by specialist manufacturer KwikKraft in Rangiora, Christchurch, to handle sea conditions.

The boat, which carries 24 people, is built to skim the surface, driven by twin supercharged diesel engines capable of 300HP each.

It is very environmentally friendly, says Macaulay.

"Yachts would probably churn up more," he says.

"It's designed for all ages. We had a 70-year-old the other day. She wanted her whole family along."

A lot of tourists do walk-ups, and the company has around 45 selling agents around Auckland at various hotels.

"A huge increase of cruise liners [has] been great for us," adds Macaulay. "We're pretty much on target for where we expected to be."

A jet-boat ride is not an impulse purchase for most Aucklanders. A 35-40 minute ride costs $98 per adult, $58 for children and $254 for families.

As well as to tourists, Macaulay is marketing the jet-boat experience to corporates on conference and incentive programmes.

The company organises corporate trips for team building, working with Orams Marine Village in Westhaven, which hosts conferences and corporate functions. It also works with the Riverhead Tavern.

"My goal in Auckland is to have more boats," Macaulay says.

"We are looking at a second boat already. Our goal is to create our own combo deal with the two other companies planned.

"They are tourist ventures that will all match each other and that are not being done in Auckland at this stage."

This is his first time running a tourism business. He also breeds trophy stags for game parks and has an importing business.

Macaulay and his wife, Cheryl, own 50 per cent of Auckland Adventure Jet. A number of private businesspeople own the remainder.

The company has a board with an independent chairman, Timaru businessman Murray Cleverly, the chairman of the South Canterbury District Health Board.

"Having an independent chair is a fantastic thing. It's safeguarding our investors. It's keeping me in check, I'm dealing with other people's money," Macaulay says.

The competition from Auckland Jet Boat, which runs from the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, has made him "harder and sharper".

"The thing is to strive for excellence and to be the best at what we are doing at the time.

"That's why I've made the push to go for Qualmark."

The company received Qualmark's enviro-silver rating in its third month of operating.