The Duck Tours landing crafts were sourced from Australia, the US and Canada and maintained in-house.
The Duck Tours landing crafts were sourced from Australia, the US and Canada and maintained in-house.
All it took to solidify a 22-year-old business operation between two brothers was a “Christmas lunch and a few beers”. Now, Trevor Weir and his brother Peter are ready to sell their first business.
It was time to “pass the baton on to someone else to enjoy”, Trevor Weir said.
The brothers shared a fascination with World War II-era DUKWs – two-tonne boat-trucks with six wheels – and turned three of the vehicles into one of Rotorua’s most iconic tourist attractions.
Trevor Weir told the Rotorua Daily Post the biggest joy of owning and running a tourism business in Rotorua was engaging with people on vacation.
“People come to us happy, in holiday mode, and leave happy, you know? Everyone’s got a unique story.
“We have 90-year-olds going up because it’s World War II and they learn a lot of information, but we also have 5-year-olds going on it, because it’s big, bright yellow and goes into the water.
“It’s just been an amazing time,” Weir said.
Trevor and Peter Weir started their business over a Christmas lunch and a few beers in 2002.
The World War II-era landing crafts were sourced from the United States, Australia and Canada. Weir said he and his brother originally planned to start the business in Queenstown, but someone else was already doing it in 2003. Rotorua was their next choice.
“There’s so much history and everything here as well, so it was just a natural fit for us to come and live here.
“Rotorua is within three hours’ drive of 75% of the country’s population,” Weir said.
Trevor Weir, owner-operator of Duck Tours in Rotorua, said the last 22 years of business operations were a privilege.
The boat tours operated on three Rotorua lakes – Ōkareka, Blue Lake and Tarawera.
Weir said he wanted to ensure staff remained employed after the sale.
“Next to the ducks, our drivers are our biggest asset.
“A big part of the tour is how good our drivers are, so we’ve always emphasised getting the right person for the job and it does take a long time.”
Maintenance of the big yellow amphibious ducks was also done in-house, Weir said.
“We’ve got engineers all based around Rotorua that help us out, too.
“I think the biggest thing about owning and running a business is just to be humble about it ... understand that you’re in a privileged position,” Weir said.
“Know that you’re taking people around and you’re showing them this great place.
“We want people to bring their own personality into the tour as well – it’s about being people-oriented.”
Aleyna Martinez is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. She moved to the region in 2024 and has previously reported in Wairarapa and at Pacific Media Network.
