Two cruise passengers were rescued by police after their kayaks capsized in Wellington Harbour.
The two, aged in their 70s, had been in the water for nearly 15 minutes by the time a local maritime police unit could pluck them out.
According to Senior Constable Paul Curd, a group of 8 kayakers from the Holland America Line's cruise ship ms Noordam got into trouble at about 2:15 p.m.
While the police officers were refuelling their boat, they received a call from the Matiu-Somes Island ranger concerned that the group might have problems in the wind.
The officers then headed out and spoke to the guide of the group. After the officers left, the guide called them back to rescue a member of the group who had capsized.
They picked her up and started warming her up. The woman was mildly hypothermic.
The officers found another member of the group who had capsized just before the nearby bay.
A Bluebridge ferry was diverted off the course to avoid kayaking cruise passengers as they were being rescued.
The other members of the group, unfamiliar with the area, were scattered across the main channel, coming ashore at Mahanga Bay and Kau Bay on Miramar Peninsula. Some capsized while approaching the shore but none required medical treatment.
For other ms Noordam accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.