Rapidly expanding tourism company Southern Discoveries has been granted consent to operate a vessel able to carry "about 100" passengers from O'Regans wharf in Queenstown to the station three times a day.
The Lakes Environmental consent decision describes the vessel - which would be the second largest on the lake behind the TSS Earnslaw steamer - as a twin-hull "catamaran-style" vessel 26m long, 9m wide and 5.8m tall.
Southern Discoveries general manager John Robson said the boat had not yet been designed, and would have to fit within certain design specifications enforced by Lakes Environmental.
The company previously intended to replace its smaller Lake Wakatipu vessel Queenstown Princess with the 200-passenger Lady of the Sounds, which operates on Milford Sound.
Mr Robson said the three-storeyed vessel was considered "too bulky" by Queenstown Lakes District Council planners Lakes Environmental and consent was declined. The company then submitted specifications for the single-level vessel, with a price-tag estimated between $2 million and $5 million.
The company has not yet decided whether it will have the vessel built or buy one.
He said it would not be competing with the Earnslaw, but a catamaran would offer a "more open" option with potential for conference and incentives work.
"We have got some great concepts for some great new products at Mt Nicholas and would like to think that we are going to bring something new into Queenstown," Mr Robson said.
Southern Discoveries was bought by the Skeggs family, of Dunedin, three years ago, and recently took over Go Milford, a Te Anau-based coach and tour operation, and Go Fiordland's Information Centre, in Te Anau.
The company's extensive holdings include a 50% shareholding in the Queenstown-based Kawarau Jet jet-boat operation, the Milford Discovery Centre and Milford Deep Underwater Observatory, the two-boat Queenstown Fishing Charters business, a retail store, and a cafe and bar.
Skeggs Group managing director David Skeggs said it had always been the company's goal to expand into Queenstown.
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