Cargo ship Anatoki busy at Whanganui Port during lockdown

Coastal Bulk Shipping expects to move around 30,000 tonnes of cargo through Whanganui in 2021. Photo / Bevan Conley

New Zealand roads have been a bit quieter over the last month because of Covid-19 restrictions, but Coastal Bulk Shipping has been busy chugging away on its blue highway.

In just the past week its 700-tonne freighter MV Anatoki has docked in Whanganui three times, delivering more than 2000 tonnes of cargo.

"She sailed off on Tuesday back down to Nelson. It is probably more cargo in the last week than there has been for a wee while," Coastal Bulk Shipping general manager Doug Smith said.

Smith said the vessel visits Whanganui three times a month usually.

Coastal Bulk Shipping is New Zealand's only non-containerised coastal shipping business and regularly uses Whanganui Port.

Cargo on the 50 metre-long ship included organic fertiliser, grain, barley and timber, which would then go into the central regions via railway.

"If you went down and have a look, there is not much space down at the dock."

He expects to move around 30,000 tonnes of cargo through Whanganui this year.