Māori rock carvings cruise on Lake Taupō

What an incredible experience. I joined the Sail Barbary Eco Sailing trip to the Māori Rock Carvings and it was one of the highlights of my time in New Zealand. The scenery on Lake Taupō was absolutely stunning, and seeing the carvings from the water was something special, but what really made the trip memorable was our captain and guide, Lloyd. Lloyd was outstanding from start to finish. He was welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable, and had a fantastic way of making everyone on board feel comfortable and included. His passion for the lake, the local history, and the environment really came through in the way he guided the tour. The sailing experience itself was peaceful and relaxing, and Lloyd’s commentary struck the perfect balance between informative and entertaining. You could tell he genuinely enjoys what he does, and that enthusiasm made the experience even better. If you’re visiting Taupō and want to see the Māori Rock Carvings, I can’t recommend Sail Barbary highly enough. And if you’re lucky enough to have Lloyd as your captain, you’re in for a fantastic experience. Thank you, Lloyd, for making it such a memorable part of my New Zealand adventure

Absolutely fantastic. Wonderful boat, awesome scenery and Lloyd the skipper is a great host. A highlight for our family and well worth the money. We had superb weather and the Lake was like glass. There was little wind which was a shame but we got the mainsail up and with the eco engine we couldn’t hear a thing. The carvings are impressive. And really well worth the trip. Huge thanks to Lloyd for his wonderful hospitality (and patience). Will definitely return on our next trip to Taupo.

The most amazing experience! 😍 Chris was the absolute best skipper - very experienced and we felt completely comfortable and safe the entire time. He was full of knowledge and entertaining stories. Super quiet and relaxing on the way to the carvings, a little more exciting on the way back with a bit more swell and lean. We loved every minute. The carvings themselves were spectacular and well worth a visit. Loved the 'no diesel' smell and eco friendly aspect. Thank you so much for a fabulous time 🥰⛵️🥰

Wow what a great trip we had with sail barbary. Our Captain Lloydo was amazing to say the least. Couldnt have been more accomodating and knowledgeable of the lake and surrounds. His passion for the lake was obvious from when we arrived. The trip was amazing and the carvings need to be seen to be fully appreciated. For anyone who is looking for a nice relaxed experience we cant recommend Sail Barbary highly enough.

Took an unexpected trip to Taupo with Mt Ruapehu closed for the day. Booked the 2pm sail session and had an amazing time! A little chilly on the day but the team really made sure we were taken care of, any blankets or drinks we needed and regularly checked in with everyone individually. The boat being electric as well - emitted almost no noise so the whole sail was just super relaxing. Totally recommend sailing with these guys!

This was one of the highlights of our NZ trip. The electric-powered sailboat provides a silent ride across Lake Taupo so it is very peaceful. While the electric engine provides security that you will get there and back in the allocated time the sails are not just decoration - they were in constant use on our trip and gave a true sailing experience. [This depends on wind direction, of course, but we had the mainsail up heading out and both mainsail and jib returning]. The skipper clearly loves the boat, gave some interesting comments and my husband, a yachtsman himself, had some interesting and detailed conversations with him. The contemporary [1980s] Maori carvings offer an interesting endpoint and they are impressive from the water. Our skipper drew attention to the smaller accompanying carvings as well. We also had a chance to swim in the lake water near here.

My daughter and I took this cruise after reading all the fantastic reviews. We were not disappointed, Lloyd and the crew were welcoming and talked about different things along the cruise. There was plenty of time for everyone on board to relax and get photos of all the carvings. Drinks were available on board as well as a toilet. The seating was comfortable and the whole experience was breathtaking from taking in the views of the mountains. Quite a few people even went for a swim including us when we got to the carvings. Don’t miss this unforgettable experience, book today.

We truly enjoyed our trip with Sail Barbary. Skipper Lloyd is very friendly and informative. We learnt a lot about the Maori Rock Carving, Lake Taupo and the area. All while knowing we explored the lake on an Eco friendly Sailing Boat. Highly recommend!!

So glad we had time to do this! The trip out was awesome. There was drinks for purchase onboard and we even managed to stop for a quick swim! The sail boat is electric so it was so quiet and peaceful cruising! Our kids loved it too!

What a magical trip on the Barbary sailing yacht! So peaceful and beautiful views. Lloyd was the perfect guide- really friendly and enthusiastic! He told us lots about the area but also let us enjoy the peaceful sailing. Really recommend this!