Looking for some light entertainment? To brighten up your inbox here is the latest news and events from Black Cat Cruises. Below you will see the best picture taken this year along with some links to some great blogs on Akaroa and our cruises. You will also see we now have a fully functioning facebook page and some great new video additions to our web site. Finally we have some promotions coming up so you or your customers can get out and enjoy yourselves. Thanks for reading.
Cheers Paul
The Money Shot
Every year we take literally thousands of pictures of people swimming with dolphins. This year we held a competition for the best shot and here is the result. Competition winner was swim guide Georgie Shadbolt whose winning picture actually featured another team member, Charlotte White. Georgie won a digital camera for her winning photo. “It was great fun taking photos and looking for good opportunities,” Georgie said. “It got a bit competitive as we all looked for that money shot over the summer.”
How French is Akaroa?
We’ve been debating this question internally for a while now and we are interested in your thoughts. There is no doubt Akaroa has a French flavour and it is a unique part of New Zealand for that reason. But should we be doing more to make the most of this? And if so what are a few good ideas? Here is one journalists opinion on how Akaroa is almost French….
http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/akaroa-where-nouvelle-zelande-is-almost-french/
What you thought of us
In many ways we see ourselves as an entertainment company putting on a massive production. The backdrop is the wonderful scenery, the props the fantastic wildlife and the actors are our team. Every year we assess how you rate our production. This year was especially pleasing with our Swimming with Dolphins rated 9.3, Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruises at 9.3 and Christchurch Wildlife Cruises 9.4 (on average out of 10). We also asked how many people would recommend our cruises to friends and family. Those who answered quite or very likely were 99.5%, 98.1%, and 85% respectively.
We are on Facebook
Yes we know that everyone has a facebook page now but we’d love you to follow us on Facebook. We have all the latest pictures, news and offers on line plus we are going to be giving away tons of prizes over the next 3 months to our facebook fans who will be picked at random. Join up by clicking here
And the winner is.....
The great Quail Island treasure hunt was run over the summer and we have a winner. The Eksteen family from Spreydon were drawn at random from the thousands of entrants. This lucky family gets to go on an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound and spend a night in Queenstown at the Millennium hotel. The treasure hunt will be back in December.
Humpback whale
Our whale sighting activity continues with sighting of a Humpback Whale and Calf on the 23rd May, No doubt they are on their way north to warmer climes. There are more images on our facebook page.
Behind the scenes
We operate all our cruises every day of the year, subject to weather conditions of course but this is the time of year where we do all of our low season maintenance. We are about half way through this years work programme and right now we have our largest vessel on the slip (Black Cat) with the engines in 10,000 pieces. Over $500,000 per year is spent in maintenance and capital expenditure all aimed at preserving our reliability and safety record.
Get to know the team
Want to know what our team gets up to when they are not working? Here are two videos of Pip and Hamish sharing the best of their Akaroa.
Christmas function early bird special
Book your staff Christmas function or any charter cruise for friends & family before the end of July and receive a dolphin swimming voucher for 2 valued at $260! The Canterbury Cat in Lyttelton and Black Cat in Akaroa are unique venues for any special occasion or function you have coming up. Phone 328 9078 for more details.
Kids cruise free
These school holidays during Kidsfest we have a special offer. All kids aged 5 - 15 cruise for free with every paying adult. Kids under 5 are free too of course. The free cruises apply to both the Christchurch Wildlife Cruise in Lyttelton and the Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise in Akaroa. Explore Lyttelton or Akaroa Harbour, discover the Hector's dolphin, little blue penguins, seals and marine birdlife. Learn about the area's history while you cruise inside an extinct volcanic crater. FREE Hector's fun activity book for every child too. Book 328 9078 (Lyttelton) or 03 304 7641 (Akaroa)
Blogging favourites
Check out this awesome blog about a swimming trip and esp the video with a great ending...what an outstanding experience!
http://www.aswetravel.com/akaroa-and-dolphin-watching-in-new-zealand/
Great Feedback
Hi there, Just a little note to say thank you very much from myself and my family for a fantastic Swim with the Dolphin excursion on Saturday 05 June. The dolphins were a highlight of our visit to Christchurch/Akaroa over the long weekend. The weather was amazing and the dolphins obliged in more ways than one in entertaining us. The crew were very hospitable and made the trip a very worthwhile and memorable experience. Thank you again. Kind Regards Sandie TOURMASTERS South Pacific (NZ) Limited
Did you know?
Popular children’s television show What Now has enlisted the help of Black Cat Cruises to help with its hunt for a new presenter. Hundreds of people from around New Zealand applied for the role, and What Now are now down to three finalists. They were put through their paces in Akaroa on Sunday and the three contenders took the plunge off one of our vessels as part of the competition.
