Looking for awesome things to do for Akaroa or the surrounding area?
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Welcome to Akaroa, a charming seaside town nestled in the stunning Banks Peninsula of New Zealand. This page is your ultimate guide to the vibrant range of experiences and fun activities that Akaroa has to offer. Whether you're seeking adventure, wildlife encounters, or simply immersing yourself in the beauty of nature, we have just the thing for you. From exhilarating kayaking and boat tours, to scenic hikes and unforgettable encounters with Hector's dolphins, there's no shortage of exciting options to choose from. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey in Akaroa!
As told by the driver, it didn't go birding flat (one of the place stated in itinery) nowadays because not many people interested with this place. However, he still drives us there on the way back upon requested. So you may check with the driver if you want to go there.
One of the best experiences ever. Highly recommended to everyone.
Friendly and knowledgeable guides. We got to see penguins molting and swimming. We also saw a penguin who used to be sick and malnourished being released back into the wild after being nurtured and brought back into health. Overall great experience!
Thoroughly enjoyable experience. Friendly, knowledgeable guides. Ben was ours and was great. Beautiful trip over the hill from Akaroa with photo stops. Kayaking on Flea Bay was beautiful, saw seals and penguins and learned so much.
Great experience, Sabrina the deckhand was helpful and made sure we were all comfortable and the captain was very knowledgeable about the Akaroa history, we went out to sea and the engine stopped and the music started and soon we had hector dolphins playing around the boat for at least 15mins it was great.
Joey was a fantastic guide. He was knowledgeable about the local geology and wild life. We enjoyed his jokes and eye for spotting details (fun to know you can brew beer from the roots of the cabbage palm.) Exploring by kayak is the best way to appreciate the details of this unique ecosystem and support it by making a sustainable transport choice! Super fun time paddling!
The view was absolutely gorgeous, and kayaking was great fun, we got to see different animals and especially a dolphin right in front of our eyes! On top of all that, what a knowledgeable, funny and handsome guy to give us the tour! He even took many photos and sent us through emails (such as the second photo). The only thing I could think of for the company is getting a better camera so people would love the photos even more? (My phone took better photos (1st and 3rd) than the camera.)
Our guide, Jake, was great. Clear kickstart instructions or refresher info for sea kayak basics. Then straight out on the tour. Jake excelled at explaining the terrain encountered by way of geology, flora and fauna factoids along the way. On the way back we got to get in a pretty good work out with a continuous paddle back to our starting point. Jake then stayed for a bit chatting and giving us tips on lunch spots and after lunch hiking ideas. Thoroughly recommend kayaking with Jake!
Amazing experience and guide also fantastic Recommend all🥰
Family fun - great guides - knowledgeable about area
Absolutely amazing!! We saw so many dolphins who came right to our kayak and even bumoed into one :) And we saw penguins!! It is a must-do in Akaroa and totally worth it! We've been kayaking for 3.5 hrs. I had no experience but it was easy and our guides explained it very patiently. I did it on my own and was scared to be left out, but within 10 minutes you know the whole group and everyone was really nice. I'd do it again immediately!
We loved this sailing trip! Lots of information on the history of Akaroa and the harbour. Loved seeing the dolphins and other critters. A great way to see the Harbour and spend a few hours relaxing. Cathedral cave was beautiful!!!
The journey was informative with amazing view. We saw dolphins, seal and other wild life. The Captain shared some local history which made me appreciate the journey even more. I highly recommend this activity if you are going to Akaroa.
This was the absolute highlight of our three week trip to the South Island over Christmas and New Year 2022/23. We booked a couple of weeks in advance, but on getting to Christchurch the forecast for Saturday was for heavy rain. A quick phone call to Roy saw our booking rebooked the next morning. On arrival we were warmly greeted and welcomed aboard. Roy explained the plan and the kids were fitted out with life jackets as the small boat size means we're up close to the water and the wildlife. Once clear of the harbour, the crew cut the engines and unfurled the sails, allowing us to sail alongside and up close with the friendly Hector's Dolphin living in Akaroa harbour. The dolphins were easy to spot from the small boat and came incredibly close, to the delight of all on board. Apart from the dolphins, we saw lots of other wildlife such as blue penguin and baby seals. Fox II's small size allowed us to get close to cliff arches and in to sea caves on the sail home. The small passenger complement coupled with the century old boat and the excellent and knowledgeable crew made the day stand out. I'm sure it offers a very different experience to the massive high speed catamarans who overtook us on the sail, yet I counted 67 people disembark the dolphin spotting catamaran later in the afternoon, but it just seemed to lack the small and personal touch. Extra thanks to the crew for spotting that my mother's hat blew off at one point, turning the boat around and scooping it out. We thought the hat was with the dolphins. Thanks crew for a very special day that all of our party are still buzzing about. Highly recommended!
My second time on the Fox II. Such a good trip. Nice and intimate with only about 20 people on the boat. Lots of wildlife. This trip was quite different to the first one. Because the sea was really calm this time we got to sail much further out. Your lasted a good 4 hours so definitely worth the money.
My husband and I had a wonderful time on the FoxII Ketch. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The Skippers narration throughout was supurb, so informative, and entertaining. We learnt so much. It was magical when the motors were turned off and we were under sail. The Hector Dolphins were delightful and the many bird and sealife varieties were amazing. The highlight for us was sailing in the cave area, and the amazing music was just something we will never forget! This is one trip you will never regret.
Absolutely stunning morning out on the water, very informative captain, we learnt loads! And saw everything we came to see.
One should definitely visit atleast once. It is so amazing to watch the dolphins swimming next to your boat. Sadly even though they mentioned about complimentary drinks and snacks they dont provide one. When you ask them, they say the stock is empty. Hence I have given one star less.
The crew were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. The captain had excellent knowledge of the history of the area. He also knew how to entice the dolphins to come to the boat.
What a way to see nature at its best with the wind in your hair. I highly recommend this tour it has everything for both young and old to enjoy!
Had an unforgettable experience. Very knowable tour, learnt heaps about the area and it's history! Saw many Hectors dolphins along with seals, albatross and other wildlife. Would absolutely do again if in Akaroa
Highly recommended tour. The ketch is beautiful, the crew knowledgeable, the dolphins plentiful. As Christchurch locals we assumed the promised new information would be old hat to us, but the captain managed to surprise us and we learned a lot. After the tour we went for the walk up the Onawe Pa site the captain had recommended: also well worth it.
If you want to explore the water, history, dolphins & seals around Akaroa. This is the trip to book. Roy is very informative and the crew do their best to give you the best sailing experience!
What a great experience. Staff were helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. It was great to be able to sail out of the harbour to the sea and experience the big ocean swells. Also got to get up nice and close to the cliffs and rocks in the harbour (who knew a big boat could get so close). Saw heaps of hector dolphins and to watch them dive through the water was incredible. Skipper also detoured into a bay get closer to some dolphins. Plenty of birds and seals were also seen up close too. Totally worth it!
Very simple: what a great time. Dolphins are amazing animals. Crew was great and boat as well.
Fantastic experience sailing and being so close to the unique wildlife of Akaroa Harbour- having the hector dolphins swim up was amazing. Make sure you pack a windbreaker as pretty windy on the open water. Crew lovely and lots of knowledge . I’ve done a few of the other nature trips in Akaroa with visitors and this was the best- having the experience of sailing , lying back watching the wild life in a small group made it very personal
Awesome morning out with Roy and the two girls…very informative and bubbly trio. Lucky to have seen hector dolphins and orca’s! ❤️
Beautiful journey with a great driver.
The driver is kind and friendly. And we got enought time to look around whole city! It’s really good!
Awesome cruise, Awesome day, great skipper and crew, overall enjoyed it very much.
We had a wonderful couple of hours with black cat cruises, seeing hectors dolphins playing in their natural habitat, saw nz fur seals, shags and a little blue penguin swimming in the sea. The kids haven't stopped talking about how much fun they had!
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