Northland to get $10m tourist ship

Northland is to get a new ship to offer overnight cruises around the Bay of Islands in the Far North.

The InterCity Group announced today it had commissioned a fuel-efficient small ship that would cost $10 million to build.

The 46-metre catamaran would cruise at 12 knots. The company said building would begin early next year and would take 18 months.

Kings Dolphin Cruises & Eco Tours, part of InterCity Group, would operate the new vessel out of Opua in the Bay of Islands.

The company said the modern diesel-electric system for propulsion and power generation, could reduce carbon emissions by up to 60 per cent.

Overnight cruises would cost from $349 a person.

- NZPA