​The upcoming Auckland Heritage Festival will once again see Ports of Auckland offer free tours of the Waitemata Harbour and seaport on board the historic steam tug William C. Daldy.

The hour-long tours will be held on 29 September, 6 October and 13 October at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm as a part of the Auckland Heritage Festival.

Tours are family-friendly and provide an up-close view of the port at work with commentary on the history of Auckland’s waterfront.

The trip will also include a special stop at the Auckland Harbour Bridge, where the William C Daldy helped salvage a piece of the bridge during its construction in 1958.

Built in 1935, the William C Daldy was one of the Auckland port’s first tug boats, and worked on the Waitemata Harbour for more than 40 years.

Tours are free; however, a gold coin donation to the William C Daldy Preservation Society is appreciated.

The tours are popular, so bookings are essential - phone 0800 AK PORT (0800 25 7678).

Tours depart from Hobson Wharf West (behind the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum).

For land-lubbers, you can also follow the Red Fence Heritage Walk in your own time. Brochures can be downloaded from www.poal.co.nz or you can pick up a brochure from the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, which is the start point of the walk.

ENDS