Is a member of the Murdoch family heading to the South Island?
The 16m pleasure craft Pelta, which the Otago Daily Times understands is owned by the Murdoch family, of News Corp and 21st Century Fox fame, berthed in Careys Bay near Dunedin yesterday.
Skipper Adam Hickey said, when approached, the boat would be at Careys Bay for a week before it moved on to Fiordland to join a ''bigger boat'' from Auckland.
The boat would act as a day craft for those on the larger vessel.
He would not confirm the owner of the vessel or the name of the boat it would be joining.
When asked if the owner of the vessel would be in Fiordland, Mr Hickey said: ''Potentially''.
The vessel would spend about two and a-half weeks in Fiordland before it was ''sent to the next destination, wherever that might be''.
Rupert Murdoch is linked to the super yachts Vertigo and Rosehearty. However, he is understood to have sold Rosehearty earlier this year.
A Ports of Auckland spokeswoman said neither of the super yachts was in port or scheduled to arrive, but it was common for bookings for such boats to be made a day or two in advance.
Vertigo and Rosehearty are available for public charter from 225,000 (about $NZ355,000) per week.
