A long way from Amsterdam, Waiheke is now home to an electric tuk-tuk with more to come.
Inspired by his experience working on oil rigs in India and watching first-hand the degradation of the ocean, Graeme Rivett founded Kiwi Tuk Tuk four years ago. His eco-tours in Auckland central saw drivers picking up passengers from cruise liners, sharing the sights of the city, history and Maori culture with visitors from all over the world. But as the impact of the global pandemic grew, Graeme looked to pivot the business away from international tourists to focus on New Zealanders, and this summer, he decided to test the market on Waiheke.
As a deep-sea diver working on an oil rig off the coast of India 25 years ago, Graeme used to witness thousands of black bin liners being thrown overboard every day.
“We were one of 10 oil rigs in that area. You can imagine the thought of what was going down into our ocean beds. It changed my life. I thought we are killing the planet here in more ways than one. I hope they have cleaned their act up now, but that’s how it be used to be.”
Full story in this week’s Gulf News… Out Now!!!
