Transport

We offer a water taxi service to take clients from Tairua Marina to our beautiful island.

To secure your water taxi transfer please book and pay at the same time you book your accommodation online.

Water taxi charges are an additional charge to accommodation charges and must be booked in advance.

The price is $105.00 per person for the return trip.

Minimum 2-person charge.

This price is not included in the accommodation rates due to the fact that a large number of our customers choose to arrive via their own boats. 

What is the Water Taxi?

Water Taxi means any ship which is available for hire to carry passengers to any intended destination.
Slipper Island Resort Commercial Vessels are surveyed and are licenced Vessels under Maritime New Zealand.
Slipper Island Resort Commercial Vessels are operated by licenced Skippers with the correct certification required to under Maritime New Zealand.
Slipper Island Resort water taxi crosses the entrance of a river into the ocean—a highly unstable environment.
Slipper Island Water taxi is chartered for guests who have booked and paid for the Water taxi with their accommodation reservation .
The Water Taxi is not a continuous ferry / water taxi service for unscheduled transfers.
Slipper Island Resort Commercial Skippers’ decision on any water taxi transfers is final.

Water Taxi Location and service.

The location is Tairua Marina.

The Water Taxi service is a passenger transfer service from the Mainland to Slipper Island Resort.

Tairua Marina to Slipper Island Resort on your scheduled arrival date and returning from Slipper Island Resort to Tairua Marina on your departure date. The water taxi fee is for one return trip per person . Minimum 2-person charge applies. Sea conditions apply.

Where should I get access to the water taxi?

Our water taxi sets out from Tairua Marina. Our skippers will guide you from there.

Our skipper will meet you at the Tairua Marina (the fuel dock) - our water taxi (Slipper Express) transfers take place in the morning. We will confirm the exact departure time a few days before your booking, as this is based on sea and tide conditions. You must arrive 20 minutes before the departure time - this allows time to load luggage, etc.

Slipper Island Resort water taxi only transfers for guests who have prebooked the water taxi service and they have received and confirmed our Boating Confirmation Notification.

Do you have a schedule for water taxi transfers?

Yes, Slipper Island Resort schedules Commercial Vessel transfers for guests who have prebooked the water taxi service transfers online.
Please book your water taxi when you book your accommodation.

Normally we transfer people to and from the island from 10.00 AM-1:00 PM.
Please note since transfers for boating is very dependent on sea and tide condition the transfer time will be communicated with the reservation holder 48 hours prior to transfers.

Our skipper will meet you at the Tairua Marina (the fuel dock) - our water taxi (Slipper Express) transfers take place in the morning. We will confirm the exact departure time a few days before your booking, as this is based on sea and tide conditions. You must arrive 20 minutes before the departure time - this allows time to load luggage, etc.

Communication for water taxi transfers information is not communicated for reservations unless the guest has booked the Water Taxi.

How long is the boat trip?

It takes 15-30 minutes to get to our island. When the sea is calm, the duration of the trip each way will be 15-20 minutes. When the sea is rough, the trip will be slower to make it more comfortable. Taking into consideration the time to load and unload luggage, one return boat trip usually takes an hour.

Can I Charter the Water Taxi for returning back to the Mainland during my stay at Slipper Island?

Guests wanting to return back to the Mainland must arrange their own charter and cover all costs for a boat not associated with Slipper Island Resort. Slipper Island does not provide this option.

Slipper Island Resort Commercial Vessel Service is to safely transfers guests for their reserved arrival date, and reserved departure date. The transfers are calculated on the sea conditions for the arrival and departure dates ONLY and NOT the days in between.

If guests chose to leave the Island for any reason on any day which is not your arrival and departure date, there may be a risk that you will not be able to be transferred back to the Island if the sea becomes rough and unpassable. If your accommodation is affected by not being able to return due to any other charter operators decision, or if the sea conditions deteriorate while you are away from Slipper Island Resort then this is at your expense and responsibility.

DELAYED WATER TAXI REQUEST. ADMINISTRATON FEES. OPTING OUT OF WATER TAXI TRANSFERS. WATER TAXI SCHEDULES.

If you require water taxi transfers but already selected to “OPT OUT “ of this service at the time of the booking procedure and are now making water taxi transfer though our office ,an administration fee of $30.00 will apply to any issued invoice generated for water taxi service. The administration fee is additional to the water taxi fee.

Any water taxi transfers required but reserved at a later date will be subject to existing scheduled water taxi transfers, availability and sea conditions. The water taxi rates will be charged at the current date of water taxi rates at the time of requesting the water taxi. All transfers are subject to favourable sea conditions and availability. This is based on the schedules set for the date /dates of transfers.

Please ensure you reserve your water taxi transfers at the time of your accommodation reservation to avoid disappointment and additional charges. The water taxi charge is for one person for one return trip -minimum 2-person charge. Water taxi fees are a set rate regardless of the person’s age. The boat transfer is $ as listed on the website. Conditions of sea travel apply.

For late water taxi enquiries email your travel request: info@slipperislandresort.com Include name, booking reference ,travel dates and number of passengers requiring water taxi transfers for your booked reservation. Water taxi transfer must be booked in advance and our office will require 5 days’ notice to add your water taxi transfer request to any schedules for Slipper Island Resort Water Taxi Services.

Booking the water taxi remains the responsibility of the reservation holder to secure water taxi reservation and Slipper Island Office administration are not liable for miscommunication for non-arrival of unreserved water taxi passengers if notification is not received by Slipper Island Resort Office administration 5 days prior to your reservation arrival date. This service is for reservation guests only.

GUEST USING OWN BOAT OR OTHER CHARTER BOAT FOR PASSENGER TRANSFERS – TERMS ANS CONDITIONS.

Guests using their own boat or other boat not associated with Slipper Island Resort must ensure the return trip can be completed by the boat owner or charter operator.

WMW Slipper Island Limited is not responsible for uncompleted passenger travel or is not financially liable for passenger transfers not associated with WMW Slipper Island Limited commercial sea vessels. Any cost associated with travel options are at the expense of the guests.

The decision for a boat operator to use their own boat or charter a boat not associated with WMW Slipper Island Limited forfeits the right of entitlement to a full refund should the boat operator decide not to complete passenger transfers within the cancellation criteria. This applies if notification is received within 14 days of travel dates.

• Bookings cancelled up to 28 days of the day of arrival are not subject to a cancellation fee and receive a full refund.
• Bookings cancelled up to 14 days of the day of arrival are subject to a cancellation fee of one night’s accommodation.
• Bookings cancelled within 14 days of the day of arrival will be charged the full amount.
• Bookings cancelled due to being unable to transport you to the island, due to weather will receive a refund, or the option to defer the reservation date -conditions apply. This offers only applicable to commercial cancellations operated by WMW Slipper Island Limited. Own boats or carter boats are excluded from the refund policy due to a variation of reasons which will prevent owner other transfers proceeding.
• Reservation dates can be changed up to 14 days of the day of check in but changing dates are subject to availability and rate change during peak periods.
• In the case of a no-show, the full amount will be charged for each room booked.