Three wineries on shores of Lake Dunstan to be linked by cruise boat

Dreams of lounging on a boat, cruising from winery to winery are set to become a reality in Cromwell.

Next week, Cromwell Winery Cruises will launch what is being touted as the only tour of its kind in the country after nearly two years of work by owner-operator Sam Taylor.

Passengers would be collected from their accommodation in Cromwell and taken to board a pontoon boat fitted out with lounges for their journey to three wineries, Mr Taylor said.

While there were boat trips to single wineries this was the only one in New Zealand taking in multiple venues, he said.

The creation of Lake Dunstan through the construction of the Clyde Dam meant there were wineries with ready access to the water.

"A lot of vines went in all around the lake and then people chose to build their cellar doors close by for that sort of ‘scenic outlook’ as well."

A day with Cromwell Winery Cruises would begin with a tasting at Matt Connell wines, Mr Taylor said.

With a maximum of ten passengers, the cruise was designed to be relaxed and intimate, he said.

A longer lunch stop at Carrick Winery meant passengers had time for a restaurant meal or to have a pizza and enjoy the outdoor setting.

The final venue for the day was The Shed at Cloudy Bay winery.

While the boat was designed for passenger comfort it crossed the water in good time, with about half an hour on the water between wineries.

A gangway was set up to disembark at each stop and it was a brief walk from shore to tasting room for the first two stops.

"If you can walk up and down the supermarket aisles you can manage this."

At Cloudy Bay a shuttle van would take passengers to The Shed, as it was a bit further away and across a road, Mr Taylor said.

Private bookings would also be available for a minimum of eight people and under-18 years olds would be able to go on those trips.

Originally from a beef and sheep farm in the Wairarapa, Mr Taylor went to the New Zealand Maritime School straight from high school and worked on commercial ships all around New Zealand and the Pacific.

Mr Taylor was living in Wellington when he was offered redundancy from Interislander ferries in 2024.

He took the opportunity to move to Central Otago and started working on the winery cruise idea.

Cruise bookings would be available until Anzac Day when it was likely they would be stopped for the winter.

While he was a passionate snowboarder unfazed by cold it was probable tourists would not want to be on the lake during winter, he said.

julie.asher@odt.co.nz