Rod Stuart
A local in the true sense of the word Rod was brought up in Kaiteriteri where his mother still waves a tea towel off the deck to the boats in the morning.
Rod's passion for the Abel Tasman is evident as he shares his piece of paradise with you. He grew up snorkelling, diving and boating every nook and cranny of the coastline, leading him to complete a BSc in Zoology at Canterbury University, to follow his passion for marine biology.
After operating several local business and travelling around the world for a couple of years Rod grabbed the opportunity to run a tourism business, Abel Tasman Aqua Taxis, with Jane and Kelvin Goodman in 1998.
This successful venture renewed his love of the Park and allowed him to showcase this amazing environment to world travellers. During this time Rod and Kelvin developed the design of the osprey boats used by the company, and supported the development of a marine reserve and the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust.
With the sale of Aqua Taxis in 2003 Rod and his partner, Karina established Abel Tasman Charters with the aim of providing a more intimate personal trip for travellers with low impact on the environment.
This led to the purpose built Taranui, an 11 metre semi displacement power catamaran surveyed for 25 day passengers. The semi displacement hulls allow for greater fuel efficiency as well as providing a smooth ride.
He'll be one of the skippers to greet you on your cruise.
