Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Bay of Islands awaits visit from Ovation of the Seas

By Peter de Graaf
Northern Advocate·
10 Jan, 2017 07:24 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Take a tour of the mega-cruise ship Ovation of the Seas in this archive footage from 2016.

The Bay of Islands is busily preparing for tomorrow's visit by Ovation of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship to visit Northland with almost 5000 passengers on board.

The monster ship - which, at 348m, is longer than the Sky Tower is tall - is due to be piloted into the Bay between 7am and 8am tomorrow.

It will anchor off Russell's Tapeka Pt with the first passengers expected at Waitangi wharf about 8am and the last tender returning to the ship at 6pm.

Businesses in Paihia and Russell are gearing up for the influx and council-owned company Far North Holdings (FNH) is organising extra shuttle buses, traffic control and parking.

FNH cruise ship co-ordinator Irwin Wilson said the one-way section of Williams Rd would be closed to traffic with cars replaced by tables and umbrellas to create a festival atmosphere. A craft market would be held on the Village Green.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Twelve buses will shuttle passengers between Waitangi jetty and central Paihia with a similar number taking tours around the Far North.

Contractors had been hired to control traffic at the Marsden Rd pedestrian crossing to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles and foot traffic.

Volunteers from Paihia's Ambassador scheme would greet passengers as they arrived at Waitangi to hand out maps and answer questions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There would also be a commentary on the buses.

"So they'll be reasonably well-informed by the time they arrive in Paihia about to how to find the Village Green, ferries to Russell, and get back to vessel," Mr Wilson said.

In the afternoon the shuttles would stop at the Treaty Grounds for those who wanted to explore New Zealand's beginnings.

He expected the high level of public interest in the visit meant a lot of locals would head to Paihia. FNH would make extra parking available in the Williams Rd car park; once that was full attendants would give advice on other parking places.

Sarah Greener, who manages eateries Alongside and 35 Degrees South on the Paihia waterfront, said all staff had been rostered on in anticipation of a "full-on day".

She expected 1pm to 3pm to be especially busy.

"It's exciting to see it [Ovation of the Seas] come in. It's a really cool opportunity for the Bay of Islands so hopefully everyone's geared up and ready to make the most of it."

Meanwhile, some boat operators are offering trips out to the ship for people who want a closer look.

Fuller GreatSights manager Charles Parker said an evening "sail away cruise" would follow Ovation as it left the Bay before returning via the islands.

The company put on a similar cruise when the Queen Mary visited in 2010.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The ship will head to Tauranga next.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Dargaville water crisis: Businesses face losses and residents raise health concerns

31 May 12:09 AM
Northern Advocate

On The Up: Bold plan for Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe aims to restore toheroa to Ninety Mile Beach

30 May 05:00 PM
Northern Advocate

'No services': Whangārei pensioners facing $7000-a-year bill protest rising rates

30 May 05:00 PM

‘No regrets’ for Rotorua Retiree

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Dargaville water crisis: Businesses face losses and residents raise health concerns

Dargaville water crisis: Businesses face losses and residents raise health concerns

31 May 12:09 AM

Repair work will take time as Dargaville's 5000 residents asked to stop using water.

On The Up: Bold plan for Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe aims to restore toheroa to Ninety Mile Beach

On The Up: Bold plan for Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe aims to restore toheroa to Ninety Mile Beach

30 May 05:00 PM
'No services': Whangārei pensioners facing $7000-a-year bill protest rising rates

'No services': Whangārei pensioners facing $7000-a-year bill protest rising rates

30 May 05:00 PM
'My health is suffering': Man's housing plea as he lives in tent with dogs

'My health is suffering': Man's housing plea as he lives in tent with dogs

30 May 05:00 PM
Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design
sponsored

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP