Expedition Cruise New Zealand’s Rugged Coastline
New Zealand’s 15,000 kilometres of meandering coastline makes it uniquely suited to small ship expedition cruising. Access glacial fiords, walk forested trails and visit isolated villages. Journey to remote locations including Marlborough Sounds and Fiordland and the charming towns of Napier, Kaikoura, and Dunedin. Hike through Waimangu Volcanic Valley, journey deep into quiet fiords and encounter striking Māori traditions. Discover the unique character of east coast towns, admire lazing seals, pods of friendly dolphins and perhaps even the rare yellow-eyed penguin. Return to your ship after the day’s excursions to sample the country’s famed produce and wine.
Embark on an unforgettable adventure through the renowned World Heritage region of the Fiordland National Park, as you explore the stunning Dusky Sound, Milford Sound, and Doubtful Sound on the remote west coast of New Zealand. This is truly one of the world’s most spectacular natural landscapes.
Discover New Zealand’s South Island Sounds and Fiords on this 8-Night expedition voyage aboard Coral Adventurer. Delve deep into the striking landscapes of Dusky, Milford and Doubtful Sounds. Enjoy a guided walk through the forests of Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary on Stewart Island and catch sight of some of the nation’s most iconic bird species and discover the uninhabited volcanic islets on Solander Island.
New Zealand Voyage Excerpts
Coral Expeditions Ships In New Zealand
From the deck of Coral Geographer or Coral Adventurer, you will admire New Zealand’s captivating coastlines. These expedition ships are purpose-designed to access remote and wilderness shores. The wide open spaces on these vessels gives you ample viewing as you cruise past the NZ coastline. You will be in the company of no more than 120 passengers along with our expert expedition guides and crew as you explore this incredible region. Our lightweight dual Xplorer tenders, a trademark feature of all our vessels, extend the capabilities of the ship by allowing deeper exploration on shore excursions. These ‘safari jeeps’ of the sea are fast, sturdy, and comfortable and developed to allow easy boarding from the ship and walk-off disembarkation onto remote shores.
Launched in 2019 and is a modern expedition ship designed for remote Australian shores.
Launched in 2021 and is the sister ship to Coral Adventurer with additional bridge deck suites.
Our trademark Xplorer Tenders as well as zodiacs and kayaks
See New Zealand From A Different Perspective
Home to awe-inspiring coastal landscapes, more than 25 marine reserves, a vibrant Māori culture, quaint seaside towns and an abundance of unique wildlife, New Zealand is a truly remarkable destination. Its sprawling coastline is best accessed by small ship, revealing the dramatic beauty of Fiordland, remote Stewart Island and captivating Marlborough Sounds. It is flanked by the Pacific Ocean on one side with its white sand, bays and beaches, and the wild Tasman Sea on the west coast with rugged cliffs, weathered rocks and stretches of black sand. Get up close and personal on our expeditions with local wildlife including dolphins, seals, wekas, tuis and keas.
Dusky Sound in New Zealand is nothing short of extraordinary. Guests were immersed in the untouched wilderness of this remote fiord, with its cascading waterfalls, lush rainforests, and incredible wildlife, including seals and rare native birds.
Following in the wake of Captain James Cook, we explored the historic waters he first charted in 1773, experiencing everything from serene moments surrounded by nature’s beauty to the thrill of discovering its rich history. 🦭🚣🗻
Photography📸 captured by expedition team members Mariah and Rhett
@mappleby_
Jan 9
Feel a sense of awe as we navigate through the natural beauty of New Zealand`s Milford Sound, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes that seem otherworldly...
Jan 7
Coral Geographer guests have been kayaking, hiking and encountering native wildlife on their journey exploring New Zealand`s East Coast. On their journey they`ve experienced ancient Māori culture and the pristine wilderness of Tauranga, Napier, Tasman Bay and more!
View our New Zealand voyage on our website. Link in bio
#CoralGeographer #NZMustDo #NewZealand #expeditioncruie #travel #cruise #expedition #explore #napiernz #tasmanbay
Jan 2
Spend Christmas and New Years on expedition!🎄
Our seasonal voyages offer a range of choices, whether you prefer a yacht inspired journey close to home in Tasmania or seek to connect with more exotic adventures in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand or Borneo.
Book your Christmas and New Years voyage. Visit our website to view the itinerary & book online. Link in bio.
#cruise #expeditioncruise #CruiseMonth2023 #CruiseMonth #FestiveCruises
Oct 21
🐧Join us as we journey deep in the Southern Ocean to the World Heritage islands of the Australian and New Zealand sub-Antarctic
Visit our website to view the itinerary & book online. Link in bio.
#cruise #expeditioncruise #subAntarctic #AntarcticExpedition
Jul 20
"Our morning began with a walk to Motuara Island Lookout for some beautiful views over Queen Charlotte Sound - we were lucky enough to spot a rare saddleback along the way. A few of us joined the walk from Ship Cove to Resolution Bay, part of the Queen Charlotte track. It was a long walk with beautiful views and some pristine New Zealand forest. Throughout the day, there was also the opportunity to join a waterfall walk, enjoy some time strolling around ship cove, or join a guided kayak tour of the area."
- Expedition Leader Alistair Kent, 26 Jan 2023
#CoralAdventurer #NewZealand #ShipCove #NZMustDo #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore #cruise #MotuaraIsland #nature
Jan 27
"The views were beautiful this morning, sailing in with the sunrise as we arrived at Otago Harbour. Our first activity for the day was the city tour, stopping at Signal Hill Lookout for some spectacular views of the city and surrounding area - the railway station, the university, and a few other spots of historical significance. We also had the opportunity to go on the nature tour heading out to the peninsula, where we did a drive-by of some of the city’s historical sites before going to Larnach Castle for a tour of the gardens. From there, we made our way to the penguin reserve, where we saw penguins in rehabilitation and learnt about the threats these adorable birds face."
- Expedition Leader Alistair Kent, 23 Jan 2023
🚢 See our website to discover New Zealand
#CoralAdventurer #NewZealand #Dunedin #NZMustDo #Travel #expeditioncruise #explore #cruise
Jan 25
Coral Adventurer had a great day in Milford Sound, cruising alongside Stirling Falls for some spectacular and very close views of this beautiful waterfall.
🚢 Visit our website for more New Zealand expeditions
#CoralAdventurer #NZMustDo #NewZealand #MilfordSound #StirlingFalls #expeditioncruie #travel #cruise #expedition #explore
Jan 23
Our new year is off to a great start - Coral Geographer completed the first voyage of her Indian Ocean Series, Coral Adventurer explored rarely visited islands Wallis & Futuna on her way to New Zealand, and Coral Discoverer followed the Sydney to Hobart yacht race to Tasmania where she will operate for her 9th season in the region.
Discover our voyages: https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/cruises/
#CoralExpeditions #expeditioncruise #travel #newyear #explore
Jan 5
"Another beautiful morning at sea starting with a Pilates session. We then joined Jacqui for her insightful presentation. In the afternoon everyone got into the Christmas spirit starting with a crafternoon - we enjoyed painting and putting our own twist on some Christmas decorations before then helping the crew decorate the ship and putting up the Christmas tree. To continue the Christmas festivities, we indulged in a premium wine tasting with Sarah, which was also paired with some lovely canapes that our chefs put together." - Expedition Leader Ashleigh Peters, 20 Dec 2022
🚢 Discover our New Zealand voyages: bit.ly/New_Zealand_itineraries
#CoralAdventurer #NewZealand #WallisandFutuna #expeditioncruise #travel #discover #atsea #Christmasspirit
Dec 22
"As the sun rose we joined on the Bridge Deck for a morning of Qi Gong and stretching to warm up the body before breakfast. During the day we partook in a chart plotting workshop where we learnt how to plot two positions and then draw a line between the two showing the course travelled and current position."
- Expedition Leader Ashleigh Peters, 18 Dec 2022
🚢 Expedition: An Expeditionary Voyage to Wallis & Futuna
#CoralAdventurer #NewZealand #WallisandFutuna #expeditioncruise #travel #discover #chartplotting
Dec 19
Unwind and enjoy the adventure of an expedition voyage during the holiday season.
Spend your Christmas cruising the Bulu River spotting rare wildlife or uncovering ancient histories in the South Pacific, snorkelling at Tufi in Papua New Guinea or being immersed into the culture and flavour of New Zealand’s East Coast, even watching a Yacht Race from Sydney Harbour. We invite you to embark on a memorable voyage to celebrate the Christmas season on one of our expeditions departing December 2022 and 2023.
🎅 Discover Our Christmas Voyages on our website.
#ChristmasCruise #FestiveCruise #ChristmasOnboard #ChristmasAtSea #HolidayIdeas #Travel #Cruise #LoveCruise #CoralCrew
Jul 23
Expedition Leader Ash Peters shares her passion for expedition cruising, and excitement to visit the remote islands of Wallis & Futuna in December this year.
Discover the voyage > https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/destinations/new-zealand/wallis-futuna/
#WallisandFutuna #WallisandFutunaIslands #wallisetfutuna #wallisandfutunaisland #SouthPacificCruise #ChristmasCruise #AdventureCruise #ExpeditionCruise #CoralAdventurer
Jul 13
📍 Wallis Island & The Kingdom of Tonga
Long disputed by the Samoans, the French and the Tongans, Wallis Island has historical ties with the Kingdom of Tonga. The Kingdom of Tonga became the only remaining kingdom in the Pacific in 1875, with the present king of Tonga, Tupou VI, beginning his reign in 2012.
Some archaeologists surmise that Tonga’s settlement traces back at least 3,000 years and the that the first Polynesian arrivals occurred in circa 500 BC. When Captain Cook first discovered Tonga aboard HMS Endeavour, he coined the nickname for the region ‘the friendly islands’ in response to the welcoming nature of those he encountered while visiting.
Be one of few to visit Wallis and encounter the island’s multicultural history on our inaugural journey into the South Pacific, ‘An Expeditionary Voyage to Wallis and Futuna’. 🗺️ https://www.coralexpeditions.com/au/destinations/new-zealand/wallis-futuna/
#WallisetFutuna #WallisIsland #FutunaIsland #Niue #Cruise #SouthPacific
Jul 12
Have you heard of remote Wallis Island dotted in the South Pacific Sea? 🏝 It is believed that Wallis islands’ civilisation was of Austronesian origin due to archaeological excavation discoveries dating back to 1400 B.C. It is understood that, during the 15th century, settlements from Tonga arrived at the island and the legendary battles of the Tu’i Tongan warriors took place. Later, in 1767, Captain Samuel Wallis’ visit aboard HMS Dolphin marked the European discovery of Wallis – and earned the island its name. It wasn’t until the 1820s that contact with Europeans began taking place on the island.
Join us in December to explore the rarely visited island of Wallis, home to vibrant Polynesian culture and remarkable historic and archaeological sites set against a pristine natural backdrop.
#WallisetFutuna #SouthPacificCruise
May 19
New Release: This December, Coral Adventurer will cast off from Cairns for an inaugural expeditionary voyage to the remote islands of Wallis and Futuna, located 2,000 nautical miles into the South Pacific.
#SouthPacific #WallisetFutuna #ExpeditionCruise
May 13
Articles About New Zealand
Voyage Log | Fiordland & the South Coast – January 2024
Voyage Log: New Zealand Fiordland and The South Coast – Coral Adventurer
