The Rock Adventure Cruise
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The Rock Adventure Cruise
The Rock is NZ’s biggest houseboat. Purpose built for cruising in the Bay of Islands she is a warm, homely & stable. The Rock is suitable for travelers of all ages who enjoy great company, new experiences & who don’t mind getting their feet wet.
Our overnight cruise allows guests to encounter everything the Bay has to offer & reflects the adventurous Kiwi spirit.The Rock features a spacious and open downstairs living area that includes a bar, dining area, lounge, pool table, piano and open fire.
Outside has an open deck that is the ideal platform for the onboard activities. Upstairs all cabins have sea views and doors that open onto observation decks perfect for viewing the scenery and wildlife.
Onboard activities include
• Target Shooting
• Dusk Fishing
• Night Kayaking
• Island Walks
• Swimming
• Kayaking
• Snorkelling
Dinner and breakfast are relaxed affairs and a great time to swap stories with other guests. Whether travelling in a group, as part of a tour, or on your own, you will feel at home from the moment you step aboard.
Details
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Organisation |
The Rock Overnight CruiseCommercial organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Paihia |
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Boat Cruises
Reviews
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5.0/5
The best birthday I’ve had so far!
Will definitely be back..
It’s been about 8months since we joined Johnny, Erin, Daniel and Leilani on board The Rock an what a awesome time we had. We booked a private overnight cruise for 17 people (8 kids) and to this day we all still talk about how much fun we had. From the time we got onboard til the time we checked out, there wasn’t a boring minute throughout. Our kids loved it, even the adults had an awesome time. Johnny and the team really made it comfortable and easy for us to enjoy everything there was to offer. I was worried about the quantity of food because well, we eat big 😂 but I was assured there will be more than enough for us all. Which there was. Literally more than enough! I had awesome communication right from the day I sent in a query email. The process was smooth, understanding and very satisfying to deal with. I told them my concerns (food,snacks for kids) to which they catered these concerns very well. They weren’t just slap up meals either, they were delicious meals i still get hungry for. Even the snacks, there was so much! The activities were fun, an planned out well. It was really a buzz being onboard The Rock. Only 1 regret I have, an that’s drinking all night and not going to bed til 4am because hangovers at sea? Yeah that sucks lol. I have so much more to say but this reviews long enough so I’ll leave it here and say a big THANKYOU JOHNNY, ERIN, DANIEL AND LEILANI. You 4 were a highlight to our trip aswell!
P.s we still have the empty hot bottle we got you all to sign 😏
P.s.s I Never forgot to write a review, it was always in my mind just.. Life? Haha.
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4.5/5
The crew all welcomed us and remembered everyone's name from first introductions.
We went snorkelling and caught Kina, which we ate afterwards. Free tea and coffee.
Thanks for reviewing our cruise Mark. Did you enjoy the kina? It is certainly an acquired taste! We'd love to host you again, safe travels
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Incredible experience, the friendliest staff who worked super hard to make you feel at home.
Loved snorkelling for Kina and was even brave enough to try it. The Bay of Islands is a must see and this trip was best way to see it. Rather than a rushed day trip, this trip meant you got the best of both worlds, seeing the islands at sunset and sunrise, as well as visiting Roberton Island and climbing up for panoramic views. Just do it!!
Dear Geraldine,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. You're braver than most, kina is an acquired taste! We are certainly in a privileged position as the only overnight cruise in the Bay of Islands and I'm glad that your experience exceeded expectations; we aim to please and of course hope to see you aboard again some time.
Kind Regards,
Amy - The Rock Adventure Cruise
Jonny Greener
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Dear Jess,
It means a lot that you would take the time to write this review. How fantastic that you enjoyed the cruise as much as we enjoyed hosting you! To see 10/10 and such a positive endorsement of the activities and The Rock makes all of our hard work worthwhile. I hope you enjoyed the remainder of your time in NZ and hope to see you aboard again some time.
Kind Regards,
Amy - The Rock Adventure Cruise
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Awesome crew, very friendly.
Excellent attention to detail, got to know everyone's name. Activities were great. Fantastic value for money.
Dear Amanda,
Another 10/10, we must be doing something right! Thank you so much for writing this review, I showed the crew at our recent catch up and they, too, pass on their gratitude for acknowledging all of their hard work and ENERGY! How they remember everyone's names is beyond me, we're extremely lucky to have such a wonderful crew. As the only overnight cruise in the Bay of Islands, we know how lucky we are, but it's humbling to see how our guests clearly love the experience as much as we do. Come back soon!
Kind Regards,
Amy - The Rock Adventure Cruise
Jonny Greener
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Hi Rita, thank you for the review. I'm so happy to hear you had a great experience on board The Rock and our crew are just the best, we are very lucky to have them. :)
Jonny Greener
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1.0/5
Cancelled a couple of hours before we were meant to leave (by email).
We were actually at the harbour waiting to board when we got the news though. Shame, because the other reviews on here suggest it should be good, but i would highly recommend a follow up email to check your boat is still going (not enough people in our case), before driving any long distance for the boat trip.
Probably not such a problem in high season, but worth a follow up email or you'll be looking for alternative accommodation with little notice.
It's a "2" instead of a "1" as they met us at the harbour to apologise!
We are very sorry that there was not enough people to run your cruise (Cancelling is our least favourite part of the job and do it very rarely). We did offer to help you find accommodation & activities as well as driving you where you needed to go & to help carry your bags to your car in an effort to make up for the inconvenience we caused you. All of these offers were turned down. In light of your comments all guests are asked to contact us 24hrs before the cruise. Safe Travels, Sarah and Jonny
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4.0/5
We thoroughly enjoyed The Rock.
The crew were friendly, professional and fun all rolled into one.. The activities were great and again the crew just made the whole time happy and enjoyable. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they always had the time to chat and be courteous. Beds were comfortable and clean and food was good. Would have liked to do a bit more fishing but overall the cruise was super!!!
The Therese, thank you for your review. Fantastic to hear you had a great time and that our crew we always on hand to help. We have since added more fishing time to our schedule so next time you cruise with us, you'll get more fishing in :)
Jonny Greener
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4.5/5
Night kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, paintball, island walk, swimming from the boat in the morning.
Hi Christina, a lovely morning dip in the sea is so refreshing isn't it. Happy to see you took part in all our activities offered. Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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4.5/5
Fantastic overnight trip in the Bay of Islands on a very friendly boat.
Great range of activities such as fishing, kayaking and walking and lovely BBQ. Great value.
Hi Darren, thank you. Very pleased to know you had a great time cruising with us and enjoyed all of the activities provided.
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
The best birthday I’ve had so far!
Will definitely be back..
It’s been about 8months since we joined Johnny, Erin, Daniel and Leilani on board The Rock an what a awesome time we had. We booked a private overnight cruise for 17 people (8 kids) and to this day we all still talk about how much fun we had. From the time we got onboard til the time we checked out, there wasn’t a boring minute throughout. Our kids loved it, even the adults had an awesome time. Johnny and the team really made it comfortable and easy for us to enjoy everything there was to offer. I was worried about the quantity of food because well, we eat big 😂 but I was assured there will be more than enough for us all. Which there was. Literally more than enough! I had awesome communication right from the day I sent in a query email. The process was smooth, understanding and very satisfying to deal with. I told them my concerns (food,snacks for kids) to which they catered these concerns very well. They weren’t just slap up meals either, they were delicious meals i still get hungry for. Even the snacks, there was so much! The activities were fun, an planned out well. It was really a buzz being onboard The Rock. Only 1 regret I have, an that’s drinking all night and not going to bed til 4am because hangovers at sea? Yeah that sucks lol. I have so much more to say but this reviews long enough so I’ll leave it here and say a big THANKYOU JOHNNY, ERIN, DANIEL AND LEILANI. You 4 were a highlight to our trip aswell!
P.s we still have the empty hot bottle we got you all to sign 😏
P.s.s I Never forgot to write a review, it was always in my mind just.. Life? Haha.
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4.5/5
The crew all welcomed us and remembered everyone's name from first introductions.
We went snorkelling and caught Kina, which we ate afterwards. Free tea and coffee.
Thanks for reviewing our cruise Mark. Did you enjoy the kina? It is certainly an acquired taste! We'd love to host you again, safe travels
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Incredible experience, the friendliest staff who worked super hard to make you feel at home.
Loved snorkelling for Kina and was even brave enough to try it. The Bay of Islands is a must see and this trip was best way to see it. Rather than a rushed day trip, this trip meant you got the best of both worlds, seeing the islands at sunset and sunrise, as well as visiting Roberton Island and climbing up for panoramic views. Just do it!!
Dear Geraldine,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. You're braver than most, kina is an acquired taste! We are certainly in a privileged position as the only overnight cruise in the Bay of Islands and I'm glad that your experience exceeded expectations; we aim to please and of course hope to see you aboard again some time.
Kind Regards,
Amy - The Rock Adventure Cruise
Jonny Greener
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Dear Jess,
It means a lot that you would take the time to write this review. How fantastic that you enjoyed the cruise as much as we enjoyed hosting you! To see 10/10 and such a positive endorsement of the activities and The Rock makes all of our hard work worthwhile. I hope you enjoyed the remainder of your time in NZ and hope to see you aboard again some time.
Kind Regards,
Amy - The Rock Adventure Cruise
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Awesome crew, very friendly.
Excellent attention to detail, got to know everyone's name. Activities were great. Fantastic value for money.
Dear Amanda,
Another 10/10, we must be doing something right! Thank you so much for writing this review, I showed the crew at our recent catch up and they, too, pass on their gratitude for acknowledging all of their hard work and ENERGY! How they remember everyone's names is beyond me, we're extremely lucky to have such a wonderful crew. As the only overnight cruise in the Bay of Islands, we know how lucky we are, but it's humbling to see how our guests clearly love the experience as much as we do. Come back soon!
Kind Regards,
Amy - The Rock Adventure Cruise
Jonny Greener
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Hi Rita, thank you for the review. I'm so happy to hear you had a great experience on board The Rock and our crew are just the best, we are very lucky to have them. :)
Jonny Greener
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4.5/5
Night kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, paintball, island walk, swimming from the boat in the morning.
Hi Christina, a lovely morning dip in the sea is so refreshing isn't it. Happy to see you took part in all our activities offered. Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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4.0/5
We thoroughly enjoyed The Rock.
The crew were friendly, professional and fun all rolled into one.. The activities were great and again the crew just made the whole time happy and enjoyable. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they always had the time to chat and be courteous. Beds were comfortable and clean and food was good. Would have liked to do a bit more fishing but overall the cruise was super!!!
The Therese, thank you for your review. Fantastic to hear you had a great time and that our crew we always on hand to help. We have since added more fishing time to our schedule so next time you cruise with us, you'll get more fishing in :)
Jonny Greener
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4.5/5
Fantastic overnight trip in the Bay of Islands on a very friendly boat.
Great range of activities such as fishing, kayaking and walking and lovely BBQ. Great value.
Hi Darren, thank you. Very pleased to know you had a great time cruising with us and enjoyed all of the activities provided.
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
My friend and I have just returned from a trip on The Rock, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough!!
Right from the offset the staff were friendly, attentive and extremely helpful, taking on a role of someone you trusted with your safety and someone to have a laugh with!
The fishing was great fun, and even though we only caught two fish between us (one for bait and one teeny snapper!) and didn't get anything for tea we were chuffed! Night fell and we were insanely lucky that we had a clear night - the stars were breathtaking, we could see the arm of the Milky way! This was great for me as a massive star nerd knowing very little about Southern Hemisphere and with such knowledgeable staff by the end I was actually recognising constellations!
One of the greatest parts of the trip was night swimming - apart from the freezing water which was bracing to say the least(!), the luminescence of the water coupled with the stars being so bright was without a doubt the most insane and awesome thing I have EVER seen!
The food was great - so tasty and a very wide range, enough for every taste and steaks were cooked to order, such a good touch.
The next day we kayaked to a beach and after climbing to the viewpoint (which was well worth the steep climb!) went snorkelling for Kina, which was such good fun!! We managed to get a fair few and after going back to the beach and sunbathing a while we went back to the boat to try them. They're surprisingly good I've got to admit! We had a shooting competition off the back of the boat (which had a champion pretty quick after only one person got a shot!) which was awesome!
The boat was very very clean, particularly the bed sheets which were great!!
I literally could write a book on things which were epic so I'll leave it here - but if you have the opportunity to go on The Rock, don't think twice!!!
Thank you Jonny, Janine and Braiden for an amazing trip :)
Hi Bethelanna
Wow, thank you for so much for the amazing review. We take great pride in creating an awesome experience for our guests and being part of them creating and sharing lifelong memories. Pity about not catching any keepers during fishing, but hey it's all about the experience isn't it. How lucky you were to have a clear night and be able to see the Milky Way in all its glory. Thanks again for the great review, we hope you may be able to join us again. Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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Hi Lisa, thanks so much!
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
What can one say that hasn't been said?
Must be one of the best trips in NZ. Never a dull moment!
Hi Mike, we have to agree! Thank you so much
Jonny Greener
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Hi Graeme, great to hear you had an awesome time and tonnes of fun!
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Very good experience.
People are nice and friendly
I think it is the best way to visit one of the nicest place in NZ
Hi Laurent
Thank you for your review, so happy to hear you had a great experience cruising with us
Jonny Greener
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Thanks Thierry, we appreciate your kind review :)
Jonny Greener
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4.0/5
Very good on board entertainment.
Nice and caring crew. Lots of activities. Good to meet new people.
Hi Johanna & Mark, thanks for your review - happy to hear to have a good time and enjoyed your experience with us.
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Found a leaflet about The Rock on the South Island somewhere, thought it would be a good finish to our holiday.
We couild not have hoped for more - they done "exactly what they said on the tin". We appreciated that it was probably more of a single persons' thing but the activities appealled to us with a son of 11 and daughter of 6 who are pretty active kids. The activites were long enough to get a feel of things, especially for the kids. We had no issues with the children's safety. They very much enjoyed being treated as an equal by the crew, all of whom were excellent, having time to talk to the children whenever they asked something (as kids do). Overall an excellent end to our holiday and we would not hesitate to recommend The Rock to anyone (I think our son has put in to work there already!)
Hi Mark, thank you for taking the time to review our product. We take great pride in creating an experience that is enjoyable to people of all ages, singles, groups, families and anyone else in between. We're so happy to hear you all had a fantastic time and took part in all we have to offer. Maybe we'll host you and your lovely family again some time. Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Island exploration with good soundtrack and booze.
Shooting, night kayaking, snorkelling and seafood feast.
Hi Sarah, aren't the islands just beautiful? The view from the tops are spectacular. We are so pleased you got to experience this and the other activities provided with us on The Rock
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Fantastic product which gave us the chance to experience the real Bay of Islands with a dedicated crew that took the time to give us all the facts of each area we visited.
Great casual athmosphere on board which is what you are looking for when you visit such splendid islands. Professional team with great level of safety for everyone. As a NZ resident i will definately recommend to friends and visitors alike and hope to return soon with a group of mates. Thanks again to all the team
Hi Fred, thank you for taking the time to review our product. We'd love to host you and your friends so they can experience what it's like to be on The Rock Adventure Cruise! We are extremely lucky to be nestled in the magnificent Bay of Islands - it provides a stunning backdrop for us and with all the beautiful wildlife to see its just amazing.
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Amazing experience that we will never forget!
Enjoyed having the chance to do everything in one go. Excellent value for money & crew were so inviting. Will be recommending to all my friends & no doubt will be back to do it all again :o)
Hi, so stoked to hear you had an amazing experience cruising with us and of course we'd absolutely love to host you again! Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
This was the best thing I have done in NZ so far.
It packs all the things I wanted to do in the Bay of Islands in one place. I think one of the best parts are the crew. They are so friendly and really make the experience worth it. You will be missing out if you leave the area without doing the Rock overnight cruise!
What a great review, thanks! We and our crew just love what we do and it shows for sure. We are also very lucky to have the beautiful Bay of Islands as a stunning backdrop to help create the amazing experiences for our guests.
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
The highlight of our trip in North New Zealand!
Amazing staff (they even remember your name throughout the whole cruise!), lots of different activities, impressive scenery and lots of interesting people to meet! The night kayaking is just unbelievable. It is so worthwhile!
Hi Clem, yes our crew are pretty darn amazing at remember every guests name. Its small touches like this that help us stand out in the crowd! We're so pleased to hear The Rock was a highlight of your time in New Zealand and of course we'd love to host you again should you ever grace our shores again. Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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Awesome!
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
An ancient transportation boat refurbished in a cruise and activities boat !
It is a 22 hours overnight cruise from 5pm to 3 the following day.
The crew is simply amazing ! Warm welcome, everyone is smiling, and everything has been thought so that you feel at home, and trust me, you do !!!
The best part was the night kayaking and swimming if you were brave enough, with those phosporescent algaes that glow at every movment !
Bring your sense of humour, swimsuit and that is all that you need !
Hi Flozi, thank you for taking the time to review our product. Our crew are a huge part of our success and also creating an amazing experience for our guests. I love it - 'bring your sense of humour, swimsuit and that is all you need!', sounds like a pretty great catchphrase to me
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Great boat with experienced and friendly staff, nice atmosphere, good organisation or relaxing activities, good price, night kayaking was great with the clearest sky ever
Hi Stefanie, thanks for your review. We're stoke to hear you had a blast cruising with us!
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
What a fantastic experience, an absolute must for anyone visiting Paihia.
Great crew, tonnes of activities, fantastic value for money, i have told all my friends about it and will definitely be booking to go on The Rock again, thank you
Hi Lorna, you are most welcome and thank you for the love review. We are very pleased to hear you had a fantastic experience cruising on The Rock
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Our best 2 days in NZ!
Thanks to the wonderful crew for taking the time to talk to us & get to know all our names!! We've told EVERYBODY... friends, family & other 'strangers' we've met in our travels. Your activities kept the 2 'oldies' and the 17yr old fully occupied & inspired to see the area. We hope to come back again someday & join you again to see your beautiful part of the world. We have some great photos & memories of our time on 'The Rock'.
Hi Angela, thank you for the lovely review. We pride ourselves in promoting that we are an adventure cruise for all ages and your comment proves it once again! We love that and your family had a ball on The Rock and we would gladly host you again some time. Safe travels
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
Great trip!
Good value to money when you consider that you are getting meals, a nights accommodation, a boat trip and activities. The crew worked really hard to get to know everyone and make sure there was always lots to do. Its a much better way to experience the bay of islands then on a crowded touristy 3hr boat trip
Hi Simone, thanks for your review. We are a small family owned operation and we really value the fact that we get to know our guests on our cruise. Our crew are fantastic and add to the awesome experience and we love that you had a blast on The Rock!
Jonny Greener
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Awesome!
Jonny Greener
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5.0/5
By far the best 2 days on my trip through NZ!
A must do! Crew and captain jonny are the best! Loved it and would do it again...
Hi Moritz, you are so very welcome!
Jonny Greener
