CentrePort Wellington Tour

The ad in our local paper caught my eye:  CentrePort Wellington is giving the public the chance to learn more about their business by offering free monthly port tours.  We booked our places on the tour and enjoyed a “‘behind the scenes” look around this very busy port with 40 other keen people. 

CentrePort Wellington Offices

After the disasters of 9/11 an Act of Parliament required all people who enter International ports and airports throughout New Zealand to produce photo ID, we were told.  Everyone was fumbling in their wallets and handbags to produce their driver’s licence before we could board the large Scania bus which was taking us on our tour.

Our tour bus

For safety reasons, the bus had to follow a pilot vehicle as we made our way around this very busy area.  The driver of the pilot car produced two-way radios and instructed the bus driver on the procedure.

Use this radio and follow me

Just before we started off on our tour the CEO of CentrePort, Blair O’Keefe, boarded the bus for a moment  to welcome us all on the tour, and proudly informed us that the company had just processed a record 100,000 containers.  I thought it was very good of him to take the time from his busy day to do this, and we two certainly appreciated this gesture.  Our tour guide Nick then took over the microphone, and the bus started rolling slowly after the pilot car.

Follow that car!

Over 1000 trucks pass through the gates each day, and CentrePort has more diverse  business than other ports.  It provides storage facilities for logs and imported vehicles.  The storehouse containing imported soda ash is sent out to Unilevers factory to be made into soap powder, and two cement companies use the port to bag their bulk cement before sending it off to the construction business.  The Wellington Port Coldstore is a joint venture handling milk and meat products.  The MAF Inspection facilities are kept very busy as the inspectors check for all manner of unwelcome intruders to our shores.  The stacked logs of Pinus Radiata are what the public see as they drive past the wharves into the city.  We were amazed at just how far these logs extend onto the wharves out of public view.

Just a small part of the huge log pile

  Logs being loaded to be taken to Asian ports

Cruise ships are another big part of the port’s business and over 120,000 passengers visited Wellington in the last year.  A transformation takes place when a cruise ship is expected and all the logs around this area are removed to Seaview wharves to allow room for the multitude of buses, tour operators and taxis to ferry the visitors around.  The CentrePort cruise terminal is the only dedicated one of its kind in New Zealand and offers a full range of passenger facilities.

CentrePort Cruise Terminal

Inside the Terminal

Containers are a big part of business and the port handles over 100,000 containers each year, both 20ft and 40ft containers and can plug up to 800 refrigerated containers.  The straddle drivers communicate using voice direction technology.  The drivers of large wharf cranes can work in the strong Wellington winds up to 45 knots.

  Straddle Trucks and Wharf Cranes used to move containers

Empty containers are stored, repaired and refrigerated units are serviced

This was a fascinating free tour which took us into areas not usually visited by the general public, and we can certainly recommend it to locals and visitors alike.  Bookings can be made on CentrePort’s website, and don’t forget to take your photo ID.