Ecocruz

Welcome to Ecocruz
Join us aboard the Manawanui for a 3 day and 2 night exploration of the Bay of Islands Maritime Park.This is a down-to-earth nature cruise off the beaten track with an emphasis on the marine environment and the outdoors.The Manawanui is a 72 foot (22m), 1981 John Pugh cutter-rigged ketch. She is an ocean going cruiser designed for comfort and safety with plenty of room above and below deck.

The Bay of Islands
The Bay is situated in the warm far north of New Zealand. Its countless bays, beaches and islands together with a mild climate and sheltered waters make it one of the country's best sailing grounds.

We aim to live up to the definition of eco tourism as laid out by the Nature Conservancy: Ecotourism can be distinguished from nature tourism by its emphasis on conservation, education, traveler responsibility and active community participation. Specifically, ecotourism possesses the following characteristics: Conscientious, low-impact visitor behavior Sensitivity towards, and appreciation of, local cultures and biodiversity Support for local conservation efforts Sustainable benefits to local communities Local participation in decision-making Educational components for both the traveler and local communities There is certainly room for improvement but we are trying! In particular we support the Orca Project, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society , Southern Seabird Solutions, and the NZ Forest & Bird Society either financially, by promoting their work, or through practical help. The Manawanui has its own sewage treatment system and all our detergents and cleaning products are made by the good people at the Eco Store (http://www.ecostore.co.nz/ ). The bulk of our fruit and vegetables have been grown locally and, were possible, organically. So does that mean that I have to hug trees on your cruise? No, it doesn’t. We’re not the preachy type. However, if some of our passion and enthusiasm for all things oceanic rub off on you then we consider our aim achieved.