Port Otago

03/09/2026

August Photo of the Month time. 🤗 It's a small field this month, but there are some cracking good shots in there.

Thank you Ann, Clint, Elton and Steve. 💙

Voting: Pop a 👍 or ❤ beside your favourite photo. One 👍 = 1 point. One ❤ = 2 points. We’ll shout the winner two teas/coffees from the Union Co Cafe. Voting closes at 2300 hours tomorrow (Saturday 5 September).

If you have a suitable image of our harbour and/or community that you want to enter, please email a high-res copy to [email protected]

01/09/2026

The new dredge Kapuka is only a few short months away. The Lower Harbour channel is now at 14m and ready to accommodate mid-size container vessels (up to 10,000TEU). Tug Ōtepoti has seamlessly joined our marine fleet as the second 70t bollard pull tug, alongside Tug Taiaroa. The new rail pad at Port Chalmers Container Terminal is operating like clockwork. And progress on Southern Link inland port at Mosgiel is ticking along in a positive direction. What next…?

How about 10 new straddle carriers for the Port Chalmers Container Terminal. 🤗

We've just placed an order worth $28m for 10 Konecranes Noell hybrid straddle carriers. They will be built to order in Würzburg Germany, with a scheduled delivery of August 2027.

The terminal’s current fleet of 14 straddle carriers has an average age of 17 years. (We strategically extended their working lives, while we determined their optimal replacement machines.) Ten of the existing fleet are diesel fuelled and four are diesel/electric. The 10 new straddles will replace the 10 diesel machines.

Hybrid straddles represent 90-95% of current world-wide straddle production, and the Konecrane model is capable of being converted to fully electric or hydrogen when these alternative fuels become economically viable.

You can read all the details on our website: https://www.portotago.co.nz/about/news/port-otago-is-investing-28m-in-10-new-straddle-carriers

31/08/2026

Key personnel from Otago and Napier ports’ marine teams have been keeping a close eye on the Kapuka build and were on site at Damen shipbuilder’s Yard 189 in Hai Phong (Vietnam) last week.

We asked them to shoot a wee “show and tell” video, so we could see more of Kapuka's inner workings. GM Marine and Infrastructure Grant Bicknell drew the short straw and did a fantastic job. (You’ve missed your calling, Grant. 😁 ) Thank you Clinton D’Souza (Port Otago) on camera and Robbie Jensen (Napier Port) as director.

It’s a super little video. Check out the size of the wheelhouse!

We cannot wait to see this beauty in real life. Thank you Grant and production team for the sneak preview. 💙 You did such a great job, we will be wanting another. 🤗

Watch video: https://youtu.be/AUifWP5ANrI

27/08/2026

If you live local, enjoy meeting people, and have some spare time... you may want to pop into the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum.

We can vouch for the museum team's friendliness. They're super! 💙

Do you wish you had more time out in your community?

Are you interested in spending a couple of hours a month (more if you wish!) as one of our museum volunteers?

The cruise season begins on 21 October and, from then on, the museum starts humming with cruise passengers. It’s a wonderful energy, seeing people’s reaction to our vibrant and fascinating space.

What is involved? As volunteer, you’re one of the friendly faces that greets visitors, shares knowledge and answers questions. Induction is straight forward, as you’re paired alongside an existing volunteer and learn on the job.

If you want to know more, pop into the Museum for a chat, email [email protected] or give her a call on 027 255 1904.

We’d love to hear from you.

(Thank you for being good sports for the photo shoot, Bernie and David - two of our valued volunteers.)

20/08/2026

Here’s another Kapuka video. 🤗 This time, it’s her launch into the water. (You need the sound on to fully appreciate the significance of the occasion. ;) ) On your behalf, we asked about the godmother of the vessel. She is Minh Tuyet, a key employee in Damen's Yard 189 planning department, facilitating comms within the busy yard and with external parties. Minh's team describe her as the linking pin and oil in their operations. 💙 Enjoy the clip!
Napier Port

17/08/2026

Our support of school swimming lessons has expanded to include Waitati School. 🤗

The school asked if we could help with the cost of lessons and transport and it was an easy “yes, absolutely!” from us. So, this term, 55 students are taking the bus into Moana Pool weekly for a total of 10 lessons. (Thanks for the photo, Waitati School. :) )

Living in a coastal community means it's extra important to be competent in the water. Learning how to swim and practice in the safety of a pool is ideal, even for children who are already comfortable in the ocean.

The addition of Waitati takes our swim programme up to about 350 students this year across seven schools. 💙

11/08/2026

Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou has gifted the name "Kapuka" to the new $36m trailing suction hopper dredge owned by Napier Port and Port Otago and due to arrive in New Zealand in December.

Kapuka means “to scoop out with both hands together”.

This two-minute video features Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou Upoko Edward Ellison telling the korero behind the name. It's a wonderful pūrākau.

We hope our community loves the name as much as we do. Thank you Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou. 💙

09/08/2026

Locals may have noticed our lovely new boundary fence along Macandrew Road, towards Careys Bay. We think the contractors, Custom Fencing, did a super job and, it turns out, so do their peers. The team won the Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand Large Project of the Year award at the weekend. It's well-deserved recognition, that reflects the time and care the Custom Fencing team put into the job. We're chuffed for them!

We’re incredibly proud and honoured to have been named FCANZ Project of the Year.

Winning this award is a fantastic achievement for our team, and we’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make it possible.

Firstly, thank you to Port Otago for trusting us with your project and for your support throughout the entire process. It was a privilege to deliver a project of this calibre.

A special thank you to Edgesmith and Boundaryline for supplying quality products and for your support throughout the project. Having reliable suppliers who stand behind their products makes a real difference, and we greatly appreciate your contribution.

A huge thank you to FCANZ – Fencing Contractors New Zealand for hosting another outstanding conference and awards evening. Thank you also to the judges and sponsors for recognising the hard work and dedication that goes into projects like these.

Congratulations to all of the other finalists and entrants. The quality of work on display highlights the strength of the fencing industry in New Zealand, and we’re proud to be a part of it.

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to Galen and the entire Custom Fencing team. This award belongs to you. Your professionalism, attention to detail, pride in your workmanship and commitment to delivering the highest standard every day are what made this achievement possible.

To be recognised as FCANZ Project of the Year is something we’ll be incredibly proud of for a long time. Thank you to everyone who has supported Custom Fencing along the way—we couldn’t have achieved this without you.

Here’s to the next project!

07/08/2026

Our Marine Maintenance Manager Clinton D’Souza is one of the team responsible for keeping an eye on the timeframes and quality of the new dredge build in Hai Phong (Vietnam). He’s constantly telling us what an exceptional job the ship building team at Damen is doing.

Clinton: “The standard of build is very high. Significant care and expertise is going into bringing this vessel to completion. We couldn’t be happier with how it’s progressing.”

It appears Clinton is not exaggerating… He forwarded us this 30-second video. For context, the total surface area of the dredge’s vertical sides (below and above the water line) is 1350m2. That’s bigger than the good old kiwi “quarter acre section”. In fact, it’s one third of an acre (0.135 hectare).

We estimate those two chaps would have taken a couple of days to chew through that job!

05/08/2026

"Spout Milk on Tap" sent us this wee graphic, summarising the positive impact we've had by using keg milk for the past four years. Small changes do make a difference. 💚