Kia ora,

Over the weekend, there were two unfortunate events in New Zealand, one with Black Cat Cruises in Akaroa and the other at Fiordland Lodge.

Fortunately, nobody was injured or hurt as a result of either incident and we wish both operators the very best during a difficult time as they work through the detail over the coming days.

While no PDNZ clients were directly impacted at the time the incidents happened, there will be impacts for for future bookings at Fiordland Lodge and our team will be in touch with you to discuss options for your clients over the coming days.

Black Cat Cruises:

On Saturday 31 January 2026, at approximately 12:20pm, the Black Cat struck a submerged object just outside the Akaroa Heads. There were 38 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, all of whom were safely evacuated and returned to Akaroa Main Wharf.

• No injuries were reported
• The vessel is currently beached, with recovery efforts underway
• No environmental damage has been reported

An investigation has commenced, and Black Cat Cruises are working closely with the appropriate authorities

As a precautionary measure, all Akaroa Nature Cruise and Swimming with Dolphins experiences scheduled, Sunday 1 February 2026, were cancelled.

Following operational checks and approvals Akaroa Nature Cruise resumed  service from Monday 2 February 2026, operating onboard the Canterbury Cat vessel. Swimming with Dolphins also resumed normal operations and schedule.

For any clients that were impacted on Sunday 1^st February, our team has been in touch directly to update them on the situation.

Fiordland Lodge

On Sunday February 1^st, 2026 there was a significant fire at Fiordland Lodge. Thankfully, there were no injuries, and all guests on site were safely relocated as a precaution.

Fiordland Lodge has advised it is still too early to confirm the full extent  of the damage or a reopening timeline. As a result, all upcoming bookings scheduled to arrive up to and including 31 October 2026 will need to be relocated and will be cancelled without charge.

Following this news, our team will be in touch with any partners who have bookings with the property in the coming months to make alternative arrangements.

Once again, we want to pass on our best wishes to the owners and teams of both Black Cat Cruises and Fiordland Lodge during this difficult time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email tours@pdnz.co.nz