Aihe Eco Charters & Water Taxi
Aihe - means dolphin in Maori and is the name of our vessel, which operates as Aihe Eco Charters & Water Taxi.
Carrying upto 12 passengers and 2 crew. Aihe was custom built in 2007 to provide a smooth and comfortable ride with excellent viewing for all passengers. Removable side windows allow for excellent, close-up photo opportunities.
A trip aboard Aihe is guaranteed to be one of the highlights of your visit to Stewart Island. We aim to make your time aboard Aihe an enjoyable, fun and safe experience.
View our new brochure here: Aihe Eco Charters & Water Taxi.
Aihe operates exclusively in Stewart Island, New Zealand, offering cruises, wildlife viewing, pelagic birding, water taxi charters, hunter transport and Freshwater River / Mason Bay Packages. Aihe is also available for private charters, customised tours and group bookings.
We offer several cruises including Paterson Inlet Wildlife Cruise, Freshwater River Cruise, Norwegian Whalers' Base Cruise & Walk, and Salmon and Mussel Farms Cruise. See our Cruise Options for a summary.
Choose Aihe for your water taxi transport to Ulva Island, Freshwater River, Freds Camp, Port William, North Arm and other destinations.
Hunter transport is available to various hunting blocks, in Paterson Inlet and along the northeast shore of Stewart Island.
If you are looking for an adventure, try our Freshwater River / Mason Bay Package - where we fly you to spectacular Mason Bay, followed by an independent hike and Aihe for your transport from Freshwater River, back to Oban.
Aihe is owned and operated by Ruggedy Range™ Wilderness Experience, whose indepth and comprehensive tours and services include guided nature walks, birdwatching, kiwi spotting, sea kayaking and scenic road tours - www.ruggedyrange.com. Ruggedy Range™ Wilderness Experience was established in 2000 and remains a small, independent, boutique business. Owner / Operator, Furhana has been guiding here for over 16 years and is probably the most experienced guide in Stewart Island and Ulva Island. We are also the only Qualmark Enviro Gold operator in Stewart Island.
View our Ruggedy Range™ and Ulva Island brochure here.
Stewart Island is a beautiful, picturesque Island with a vast inlet - Paterson Inlet, lying in its centre, fed by two major, primeval rivers, Freshwater River and Rakeahua River. On clear days, our waters can be crystal clear near the shore, with breathtaking views of myriad seaweeds and marine life. Dolphins and seals, feed around our shores.
Aihe is approved as a commercial vessel by Maritime New Zealand and operates under the new safety operating system (MOSS). We hold a marine mammal viewing permit. We operate on the Freshwater River as a Department of Conservation approved concessionarie.
