Lake Taupō Māori Rock Carvings Scenic Cruise aboard Ernest Kemp

Overview

Available languages

German

English

Chinese (China)

French

Spanish

Mobile ticket

Ernest Kemp Cruises cruising Lake Taupo for over 30 years. We specialise in visiting the Maori Rock Carvings daily. Enjoy the history of the area and this unique replica steamboat. Friendly skipper and crew offer a live commentary and a colour brochure explaining the meaning of the carvings. Lots of great photo opportunities with viewing and seating both inside and out. Bring a towel in summer months your skipper may decide there is time for a swim in our crystal clear lake.

Complimentary tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cookies. Free wifi on board.

4 cruises daily in the summer months, from 90 - 120 minutes. Our popular 5 pm Cocktail Cruise includes a couple of complimentary glasses of wine or beer and pizza, this is all included in the ticket price. Sit back and relax you will have great experience on board Ernest Kemp Cruises.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Well behaved dogs welcome.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Free WiFi on board

Live commentary from skipper & crew

Complimentary tea, coffee & cookies.

Scenic cruise on Ernest Kemp

Snacks and drinks, alcoholic and non alcoholic available for purchase on board.

Hotel pickup/drop-off

What To Expect

Maori Rock Carvings

Sit back and relax cruising picturesque Lake Taupo to visit the famous Maori Rock Carvings with Ernest Kemp Cruises. Enjoy complimentary hot beverages, Free Wifi. Cruises between 90 -120 mins. Great photo opportunities. Comfortable seating inside and out. Live commentary of the lake and history of the local area.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

Options

9am Early Bird Cruise

9am Early Bird Cruise : 9am Early Bird Cruise with Ernest Kemp to visit the Maori Rock Carvings. Start the day with a relaxing Cruise.

Maori Rock Carvings Cruise

4.30pm 1.5 hour Cruise

4.30pm 1.5 hour Cruise: 4.30pm Cruise to the Maori Rock Carvings, with the option to swim at the skippers discretion.
Duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

12.30pm 1.5 Hour Cruise

Maori Rock Carving Cruise
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Reviews

4.65

860 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

639

167

Morning Boat Trip
davewY4976CA,
Dec 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Good overall trip, seemed to get a longer. trip than the. other boats. Commentary was good when you could hear which was not always the case which was a shame. Free coffee and tea was welcome but the 'cookies' were just a biscuit.
Most enjoyable trip
E9881TFfrancesl,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our group of three had a wonderful trip on Ernest Kemp with skipper Pete. It was a perfect day, great views of the rock carvings and lake and the commentary from Pete was most interesting. We really enjoyed the personal stories he included which made it more enjoyable. The whole trip was outstanding and the team was friendly and welcoming. Recommend this to anyone visiting Taupo.
Recommend
fkinita237,
Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Enjoyed our boat ride. Friendly staff. Did have to stand for a lot of the trip as there wasn't enough seats, but we enjoyed the trip. Good commentary, learnt a lot of cool things and plenty of time at the carved rock, circling the boat so everyone can have a good look and get pictures.
Great value for money!
alexandrahU6088GV,
Nov 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A fantastic experience! Friendly crew, great view of the carvings, and even the chance for a swim. I was surprised it was 2 hours long as this was a great value for money! It felt like the perfect length and was quite relaxing and peaceful being out on the water. We got some local info along with plenty of time to relax as well. I highly recommend! Also, a tip that adult tickets are as cheap as $25 using BookMe!
Boat trip to the Māori rock carvings
402sherylj,
Nov 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Nice trip on the lake. The hosts were great. They provide free tea and coffee, and you can purchase snacks and cold drinks. The commentary is great to listen to. He speaks about a lot more than just the Māori rock carvings which I thpught was really good.
Great cruise. Watch the music
Curious60397101198,
Nov 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Went on this trip as a bit of nostalgia for my husband who last went over 40 years ago. Crew were friendly and the cruise pleasant. Loss of star due to the music... Multiple songs with multiple obviously emphasized 'F' words. With multiple overseas tourists along with a couple of children, thought this was a let down.
A calming and easy...
Stanley D,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
A calming and easy experience. Nice to see the carvings. The captain and crew were lovely and very attentive
The attendants were...
Fabienne L,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
The accompaniments were very nice.. the weather allowed some people to jump into the lake to do some swimming. The pilot took us as close as possible to the sculptures and gave us time to admire them. He made sure that every participant could see them. Our only regret is that not understanding everything, our English being very mediocre but those who understood were delighted. At the end of the visit, we would have liked to cool off at a bar but everything was closed at 4pm... as for the activity, I highly recommend it.
Lovely boat trip!
garycJ6685JZ,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A lovely trip out to the carvings. Run by a great team. Take togs and a towel if you wanna go for a cold plunge! My some even got to steer the boat on the way back!
Amazing!
Tourist52539266904,
Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We absolutely loved our lake trip on the Ernest Kemp. Sophia looked after all of us guests with drinks, cookies and even colouring ins for the kids. We got to learn information about the lake and carvings and then had the opportunity to jump off the boat and go for a short swim in the lake, which we loved. Sophia then gave us all warm blankets after the swim. I would highly recommend this experience.