Western Bay of Plenty waters received a visit from a special guest today as the HMNZS Taupo passed through while on a week-long border patrol mission.

The inshore Royal NZ Navy rigid hulled inflatable seen in Tanners Point near Katikati earlier is in the area as part of a week-long coastal patrol.

HMNZS Taupo at Whakatane this week.

Commanding officer Lieutenant Damian Gibbs says the patrol is checking for an international yachts and vessels.

'They went in there just to check. Just making sure no ones in there hiding away - trying to check as much area as possible.”

The vessel visited Whakatane earlier this week before travelling to Tauranga yesterday and into the northern end of Matakana today.

'We'll head out, continue up to the north clearing the other ports up there; Whangamata, Whitianga, Pauanui and doing the offshore islands on the way.”

Lieutenant Gibbs spoke with SunLive from onboard the vessel today as it was positioned off the Bowentown entrance.

'It's beautiful out here, a little bit of a long lazy swell, but can't complain,” says Damian.

'It is lovely on days like this when your office is nice and flat and calm.”

The week-long customs patrol is undertaking Ministry of Primary Industry tasks – checking fishing vessels and marine reserves and the island sanctuaries in the Coromandel and Mayor Island area.

'Up the coast the primary task is looking for international yachts,” says Damian. 'Monitoring, a bit of deterrence, letting them know we are still out here. Making sure the ones that are in the country have cleared customs and then engaging with them, just trying to get from them when they intend to depart.”

The HMNZS patrol boat has 29 people onboard and was launched in 2008. It was the last of the four Inshore Patrol Vessels to be built.

Lieutenant Gibbs was born in Tauranga and regularly visits the city as his mother and stepfather are still living in the area.

'My grandparents are in Whakatane and Matata, so I have a bit of a connection to the area,” says Damian.

The inshore patrol boats are intended for maritime surveillance and patrol missions around the New Zealand coast and southwest Pacific.

The primary mission is undertaking maritime security patrols, surveillance, boarding operations and responding to search and rescue call outs. The ships work with government agencies such as Fisheries, Customs, Police and the Department of Conservation on operations around New Zealand's 1500 kilometres of coastline.