She said he was very upset by the incident and apologised.
Locals took to social media to throw their support behind the driver.
"Poor driver will be so upset. Hopefully this is a lesson learnt and they'll learn from the mistake. Glad everyone is okay," one wrote.
Another said: "So we learn ... Insurance should cover all parties involved.
"Wonder why instructor didn't use dual controls to stop," a third questioned.
Boy on learners licence crashes car into a boat in Welcome Bay.
It's not the first time a learner driver's crash has made news across the country.
In 2013, a learner driver crashed into a boat parked in front of a Welcome Bay home in the Bay of Plenty.
The 16-year-old had only had his licence for about three months and had gone out for a drive with some friends for a practice drive.
Constable Paul Gunner said the driver had lost control going "a bit too fast" around a slight bend about 10am.
He ran over a tree on the opposite side of the road and hit a boat parked in front of a house.
No one was injured.