COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

All water-based activities are prohibited because these activities expose participants to danger or may require search and rescue services.

This means that until further notice, all recreational water-based activities involving sailing boats, motorised craft or motorised equipment, is not permitted. Scuba diving is also not permitted under Alert Level 4.

Swimming, kayaking, canoeing, rowing, surfing, wind surfing and paddle boarding is also not permitted.

You can fish from a wharf or the shore, but do not cast off the rocks or fish from a boat. Boating is not permitted. Keep it local — go to your nearest fishing spot, not your favourite fishing spot.

You may also fish for whitebait during the whitebaiting season and do this locally. Stay 2 metres from other river users and remember boating is not allowed. People must legally also comply with all current whitebait regulations, including; only fishing from the banks of rivers or the water’s edge; not entering the water; and not using a boat to fish.

If you do leave home, please use the NZ Covid Tracer App and scan QR codes wherever you go and turn on the Bluetooth functionality on the App.

If you are unable to use the QR codes or there are none available, sign in and/or keep a record of your travel. This will make it easier for contact tracing to be carried out.

Masks must be worn outside the home and in those workplaces that are open.

Please refer to the Unite Against Covid website and Sport New Zealand's website for further information on recreational boating.

All of New Zealand except Auckland (who are at Alert Level 4) are at COVID Alert Level 2. This means that recreational water-based activities are permitted as long as it is done in a safe way where physical distancing and official public health guidance is applied.

There are some key changes to previous Alert Level 2 settings. When you leave home, please use your face covering/mask. Face coverings are now mandatory for everyone aged 12 and over in places like retail stores, shopping malls, libraries, gyms, and public facilities like libraries and museums. Face coverings do not have to be worn at swimming pools.

Please use the NZ Covid Tracer App and scan the QR codes wherever you go and turn on the Bluetooth functionality on the App. This will make it easier for tracing to be carried out. If you are unable to use the QR codes or there are none available, sign in and/or keep a record of your travel.

Everyone aged 12 and over must legally keep a record of where they have been when visiting certain places such as restaurants, cinemas, concerts, churches, and close-contact businesses like hairdressers.

Please refer to the Unite Against Covid Website and Sport New Zealand's website for further information on recreational boating.