This Content Is Only For Subscribers
As tens of thousands of magnificent gannets once again flock to Hawke’s Bay’s to mate, nest and hatch their chicks, tourism operator Gannet Safaris Overland is enjoying the beginning of its busiest season too.
With a full colony now onsite at its spellbinding Cape Kidnappers location, the team is not only celebrating the imminent arrival of gannet chicks, but two major wins, including being named the only New Zealand attraction in a traveller poll of the very best family-friendly experiences on earth.
Gannet Safaris Overland GM Sophie Phillips says Tripadvisor, which boasts 463 million visitors to its platform each month, namechecked the guided experience in its annual roundup called “Best of the Best”.
Harnessing data, the world’s largest travel platform evaluates above-and-beyond reviews from more than eight million listings, curating lists of the most exceptional experiences.
“We are just over the moon about it,” says Sophie. “It’s a real testament to the commitment of our whole team – our wonderful drivers, who love what they do and enjoy each and every encounter with our visitors, our admin staff, and the volunteers who maintain and care for this precious land. We’re all on a high.”
What’s more, Gannet Safaris Overland recently won the Tourism Export Council’s Small Operator of the Year award, recognising excellence in sustainability, business systems and outstanding visitor experiences. “We’re very proud to have been acknowledged.”
Cape Kidnappers is home to the world’s biggest and most impressive accessible gannet colony. Known for their cheeky nature, these migratory birds begin arriving in Hawke’s Bay mid-August, and typically stay until May.
Eggs, says Sophie, have appeared and chicks will be born this month. “It’s the most magical time of year,” she continues. “It doesn’t matter whether you catch the gannets mating, nesting, or observe the baby chicks, it’s always an enthralling experience.”
After a rocky few years and low tourist numbers due to Covid-19, the 2023/24 season was “our biggest yet,” Sophie says. “The cruise ships were back, and we enjoyed record numbers here at the Cape.”
And it feels like numbers are trending upwards once more. “It’s super exciting to have some dates already sold out for the 24/25 season, and we’re running wait lists for the days when cruise ships are in Napier Port. We find that our cruise customers love the encounter so much, they’ll come back to their ship and jump straight into one of their cruise Facebook groups to tell other cruise customers all about it.”
With a variety of gannet safaris to choose from – sunrise tours, daytime tours, private tours via luxury four-wheel drive and the ever-popular Christmas Day experience – some visitors will, for the first time, enjoy seeing the flora and fauna of Cape Kidnappers from the comfort of a more sustainable, low emissions bus.
“We have two new vehicles – we’ve named one Flash and the other Rakaia,” says Sophie.
“These are Mitsubishi Fuso buses, and are super comfortable, automatic and – crucially – four-wheel drive, to cope with our rugged terrain.”
Drivers will embark on training so that they’re able to easily handle the new vehicles, under the expert guidance of operations manager Richard Hibbert, and former guide Tony Morris.
One of Gannet Safaris Overland’s most popular and well-loved tour leaders – and frequently mentioned by name in Tripadvisor reviews – he’s happy to move from his busy role and take more of a back seat.
“With decades of knowledge, we simply couldn’t let him retire,” says Sophie. “Like our gannets, who are faithful to their territory and return year upon year upon year, Tony is 100 per cent loyal and we rely on his expertise!”
