Second superyacht visiting Dunedin

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The superyacht Platinum, berthed at Dunedin's Steamer Basin last night. Photo by Craig Baxter.

The 38m Platinum arrived at Birch St wharf at 7pm yesterday, the vessel's latest stopover on a circumnavigation of New Zealand, Australia and some Pacific Islands that began 18 months ago.

The vessel was expected to return to its Fremantle, Western Australia, base by the end of next year, skipper Andrew Golightly told the Otago Daily Times last night.

He declined to name the owners, or whether they were on board. The vessel was built in Tasmania in 2006, and was previously chartered out of Sydney before the latest owners bought it several years ago, he said.

Australian media outlets have reported the vessel was bought in 2010 by Australian iron ore heiress Angela Bennett (68).

Forbes magazine estimated her fortune to be worth $A900 million ($NZ1.111 billion) as of January.

Despite the vessel's size, it was dwarfed by another superyacht, the 127m Octopus, berthed nearby at the T/U sheds.

That vessel is the largest to visit the South and is owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (60).

Forbes magazine estimated the university dropout's wealth to be $US15 billion ($NZ17.75 billion) in September last year. The Octopus is expected to leave today at 6.30am, and the Platinum at 6pm.

- hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz [2]