It hasn’t operated since the Covid 19 pandemic, and its future looked grim until Hagaman, an American-born son of rich-lister Earl Hagaman, bought it from the liquidated previous owner.
The Lakeland Queen when it was on dry land. Photo / Kelly Makiha
It was dry-docked in October 2021 and was relaunched in August, pending liquor licence and resource consent approval, both of which were later granted.
Hagaman told the Rotorua Daily Post they had loved being part of the historic project and felt it was “mission accomplished”.
His daughter, Kimberley Mules, was the current general manager and operations manager, but Hagaman said none of their family were experienced business operators.
He said his background was in property development and restoring buildings, and running a tourism operation was not his area of expertise.
Lakeland Queen owners Damon (left) and Arna Hagaman with Howie Morrison jnr, who helped paint the boat. Photo / Kelly Makiha
However, he said they had great staff and the business had been operating well with dinner bookings of up to 100 people, including Christmas Day lunch for 90 people.
“The business is operating good now, and we are looking forward to seeing new owners taking the Lakeland Queen cruises business back into greatness.”
He said the Lakeland Queen was catering to up to 1000 people a day during its heyday, and there was potential for a new owner to return it to that level.
He said the boat catered for 190 people.
How much?
When asked how much he wanted for it, Hagaman said his intention wasn’t to make money.
It had cost him $2.5 million to restore the boat and jetty during the past 18 months. According to a liquidator’s report, he bought the boat for $40,001.
He said it would cost about $9m to replace the boat.
“We will look at offers. I just brought it to bring it back to life, and it cost me much more than I expected, but for me it’s been a lot of fun.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.