The Port of Tauranga acts as a natural entry point for several New Zealand industries into and out of the foreign market. Because of its position, the port is close to significant export commodity sources.
- TEU: container volumes exceeding 950,000 TEUs
- Unrivaled sea, road, and rail connections
- Direct and exclusive accessibility to New Zealand’s most important import market
- Provide several different cargo gateways and shipping options
- The country’s largest port in terms of total cargo volume
- Approximately 13 million tons a year of total throughput
- Port activities: berthage, cranes, storage and transit of import and export cargo, etc
New Zealand’s primary container and foreign trade port is Auckland. It’s in central and eastern Auckland, on the Waitemata Harbour.
- TEU: 880,781
- Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) manage harbor facilities
- Auckland Regional Holdings owns and operates the port
- 55 hectares (140 acres) of wharves and storage areas
- Handles $27 billion in trade every year
- Handled 40% of the nation’s imports and 21% of exports by value
- Provide services and facilities to the cruise ship industry
The Port of Wellington is New Zealand’s most strategically located international trade port. It has connecting road, rail, domestic, and international shipping services.
- TEU: handled a record 89,000 TEUs (2005)
- Provide a comprehensive range of cargo and logistics services
- The Port authority is CentrePort Wellington
- Promotes regional and national economic growth
- Home to a modern Container Terminal and an international cruise terminal
- Port of Wellington and CentrePort support a high volume of cruise traffic
Napier Port is located on Hawke Bay in Napier, New Zealand. Napier Port Holdings Limited owns it and operates it as the North Island’s second-largest export port by tonnage.
- TEU: 268,000 (2020)
- Napier Port Branch connects the port to the rail network
- It receives dozens of cruise ship visits each year
- Important service center for the Hastings District’s agricultural and pastoral output
- Serves as a link between central New Zealand and the rest of the world
- Welcomes a hundred ships and thousands of cruise visitors annually
- Employs approximately 250 people in jobs
- Major industries: wool mills, fertilizer manufacturers, tobacco works
- Top cargoes: dairy products, frozen meat, tallow, wool, and hides
Lyttelton Port is the South Island’s largest port and New Zealand’s second-largest export port. It is located on the Banks Peninsula, about 13 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, on the shores of Lyttelton Harbor.
- TEU: a yearly throughput of more than 440,000 TEUs
- Low-water depth of 10 meters; can accommodate the most extensive modern vessels
- Receives fertilizers, petroleum products, iron and steel, and exports wool, etc
- Spaces include wharves, storage facilities, bulk oil terminals, rail yards, and offices
- Known as the “Gateway to Canterbury” in the past
- A regular destination for cruise ships (even during pandemics)
- The main goods-transport terminal on the South Island
- Handling 34% of exports and 61% of imports by value
Akaroa Harbour is located on the South Island of New Zealand, on the S side of the Banks Peninsula. It is Canterbury’s major inlets, New Zealand’s Banks Peninsula
- TEU: N/A
- Used commercially for ship-based and shore-based whaling
- Cruise ships occasionally enter the harbor, with passengers
- Primarily a fishing port, but there are two piers for larger vessels
- Provides some shelter during bad weather
- Summer is the load line zone
The Port of Bluff is located in Bluff, New Zealand’s South Island. The main port facilities are near a large natural inlet (also known as Bluff Harbour).
- TEU: 4,000
- Operates from a 40-hectare (99-acre) artificial island
- Mostly comprised of smaller vessels
- South Port New Zealand Limited operates the port
- Annual cargo throughput is approximately 1.7 million tons
- Imports include alumina and other smelter raw materials, petroleum products, etc
- Exports include aluminum, meat, wool, tallow, forest products
- Vessels up to 260 meters long are handled regularly
Otago Harbour’s subport is the Port of Dunedin. Its coordinates is -45.9166° / 170.5000°.
- TEU: N/A
- Providing a full range of services to cargo vessels
- Smaller ships can dock at the port
The Port of Gisborne is located in the northern corner of Poverty Bay on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Eastland Port Ltd is the owner and operator of the port.
- TEU: N/A
- Comprise berths for general, bulk, timber, and oil cargoes
- Approached via a channel of varying depths
- Top exports: logs, plywood, woodchip, kiwifruit, apples, squash, and general cargo
- Imports include cement, fertilizer, petroleum products, and other items
- Annual traffic figures: 418,164t of exports and 56,979t of imports are handled.
- Maximum length: 200m, with restrictions on vessels longer than 175m
- Maximum draught: 8.8 meters – 10.0 meters (at the pilot’s discretion)
Port of Greymouth has a sizable fishing fleet with significant tuna and Hoki landings. It is located on New Zealand’s South Island’s central west coast.
- TEU: N/A
- Grey District Council is in charge of the port
- Max. Size: 25 m LOA
- Latitude / Longitude: -42.44373° / 171.206
The Port of Marsden Point is New Zealand’s primary oil terminal. It has three berths serving the Marsden Point Refinery.
- TEU: N/A
- Refining N.Z. operates the port
- Comprise two oil jetties and a timber/general cargo quay
- Common cargoes: clinker, bulk fertilizer, fruit, bagged cement, gypsum, etc
- Figures on traffic: Approximately 9,000,000 tonnes of freight are handled each year
- Maximum size: LOA – 275 meter, draught – 15.2 meter
Port Nelson is the principal port area of Nelson, New Zealand. It is located at the Nelson Haven’s southern end, northwest of Nelson city center, north of Washington Valley.
- TEU: 82,000
- Serves as the gateway to a region local products
- Major commercial and customs port
- Port Nelson has a total land area of 0.98 km2
- Most important imports: petroleum products
- Most important exports: fruit, meat, timber, and tobacco
- Handle large amounts of bulk and breakbulk cargo
- Annual traffic figures: approximately 900 vessels, 2.6 million tons of cargo
- Maximum vessel size: length of 200-225 meters
Port Taranaki is a New Plymouth, New Zealand port complex. It is the only deep-water port on New Zealand’s west coast, and the Taranaki Regional Council owns it.
- TEU: 51,750
- Handles a diverse range of coastal and international cargoes
- Provide facilities where customers can rely on to facilitate trade
- Open roadstead and anchorage in 18.0m-22.0m
- Protected by two breakwaters and has no bar
- Can berth vessels in most weather conditions
- Serves as a hub for offshore oil exploration and servicing
- Open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
- Important imports: fertilizer, steel, manufactured goods, and cereals
- Important exports: crude and petroleum products, coal, and other minerals
- Annual traffic figures: approximately 660 vessels and 5,466,600t of cargo handled.
Port of Onehunga is a large harbor located on the N.E. shore of Manukau Harbour in Auckland, 14.5 nautical miles from the Tasman Sea.
- TEU: 21,600
- Home to nearly 1,000 commercial and industrial businesses
- Serves as one of New Zealand’s most important fishing port
- Common cargoes: containers, Ro-Ro, aggregate, dolomite, fish
- Ports of Auckland Ltd is the port authority
- Annual traffic figures: 350,000 tons of cargo; 147 vessels handled
- LOA 9 is the maximum size
Port of Opua is the northernmost port of entry for foreign vessels in New Zealand and a Customs and Ministry of Primary Industries Place of First Arrival.
- TEU: N/A
- Pronounced as the 1st port for overseas yachts appear in the country
- In demand destination for cruising yachts
- Outstanding shelter, deep water anchorage as well as several facilities for cruisers
- Currently, the port used by local fishing and charter boat
Port Marlborough New Zealand Limited is based in Picton and manages several ports and marinas in the Marlborough Sounds.
- TEU: N/A
- Deepest cargo berth in new Zealand with 15.7 meters draft
- Operate as the South Island terminal port for inter-island passenger and freight ships
- Port Marlborough New Zealand Limited authorized the port
Port Chalmers is located on the north bank of Otago Harbor, approx. Six miles southwest of Tairoa Head.
- TEU: N/A
- Serves as a deep-water port for Otago and a base for commercial fishing
- Main industrial activities: boatbuilding, ship maintenance, marine, and general engineering
- Port Otago Limited permitted the port
Tarakohe Harbor is located at 40° 49′ 22″” S/172° 53′ 44″” E.
- TEU: N/A
- Golden Bay Cement Company built the harbor for exporting cement
- Currently provide shelter for leisure boats, fishing, and scalloping
- Tarakohe Harbour Authority authorized the port
Timaru’s PrimePort is a strategic port in the South Island’s central region. It occupies an area of over fifty hectares of flat land beside it.
- TEU: N/A
- Provide a wide range of cargo and marine service and fishing harbor
- Raising a 30,000 tons storage dome; the first of its kind in New Zealand
- Timaru District Holdings and Port of Tauranga jointly owned the port
Port of Westport is located on the North West coast of South Island at the entrance of the Buller River.
- TEU: N/A
- Port has a block at its entrance, two breakwaters about 170 meters apart from the entrance
- Around 350 large vessels are handled yearly
- Primary cargoes managed: 500,000 tons of cement, 200,000 tons of coal, and 40,000 tons of other cargoes
- Handles vessels over 12,000DWT
Whangarei’s industrial sector, Port Whangarei, is located in the Northland Region of New Zealand. The Northland Regional Council authorizes it.
- TEU: N/A
- Provides a highly efficient haulout service
- Accommodate a broad range of vessels