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Billy Bear takes the same trip more than 50 times some days.
But the skipper of the car ferry that shuttles passengers between Opua and Okiato in the Bay of Islands says he never tires of the trip. Standing in his cabin, Mr Bear says that because most of the passengers are on holiday, they are generally pretty happy.
"There's the odd drippy person who can't drive properly," he laughs.
"But it's great. This is just so nice - people give you heaps of stuff," he says, handing over a box of chocolates given to him by a passenger. "It's good to see the public are so well-spirited. It's just a really friendly scene. Especially people here from the big cities, they're just not used to the pleasantness."
The seven-minute ferry ride, which takes place every 10 minutes, saves passengers a long drive on a windy gravel road around eastern Northland.
Mr Bear also skippers Fullers boats that take tourists to popular Bay of Islands tourist attractions.
He lives in Paihia with wife Lara, whom he met when he took a tour group sailing just over seven years ago.
