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.