The use of a digger to move fertiliser from MV Anatoki in the upper Otago Harbour shows the vessel's flexibility as a bulk carrier, its owners say.
The Japanese-built vessel this week delivered the load of fertiliser for the Ravensdown fertiliser plant, from Napier via Nelson, owners Coastal Bulk Shipping Ltd said.
"Coastal shipping is quite an important part of transport infrastructure," company manager Doug Smith, of Whanganui, said.
The 51m-long vessel late last year took general and some frozen cargo to the Chatham Islands, and later picked up the fertiliser at Napier, and headed to Nelson, where the ship's four-strong crew were based.
After the crew spent Christmas with their families, the vessel went south to Dunedin, "just to fill a temporary shortfall", Smith said.