Bad weather has delayed the return of a rare floating crane to Wellington Harbour.
The Hikitia has been undergoing refurbishments in Lyttelton, the first time the 83-year-old crane has left Wellington since it arrived there in 1926.
The Maritime Heritage Trust is behind the project and says the weather has delayed work on the tug assigned to tow the vessel home.
Trust manager Malcolm McGregor says the 25-hour journey also needs swells of less than three metres and winds lower than 25 knots.
Mr McGregor says the crane will not arrive in Wellington at the weekend as hoped, but the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday looks promising.
