Sea Kayak Tour

You will see

Sea birds and possibly dolphins
Stunning scenery
Wildlife, penguins and seals

Itinerary
Summary
Prices & Times
Feedback
FAQ

From Cruise Port: Akaroa-Christchurch

After meeting you at the wharf in Akaroa we start our Safari with a scenic drive to the Akaroa Heads Lighthouse Reserve, stopping along the way for photos and heading up to the rim of the crater [Banks Peninsula being an extinct volcano].

This is a scenic 4WD adventure over one of the highest passes on Banks Peninsula, including stops for photos. It enables you to experience the spectacular and dramatic scenery from crater rim of ancient Akaroa Volcano to volcanic coastal cliffs, through to the Akaroa Heads Reserve & Lighthouse. Enjoy the beautiful view over Akaroa Harbour and the endless Pacific Ocean!

Arriving at the Farmhouse base of operation, you are introduced to your kayak guides for the trip. Full instruction and safety training is provided before heading out on these stable two person ocean capable kayaks for a 90 minute paddle around the bays.

You will have chance to see the many types of wildlife that the nature reserve provides such a great habitat to, penguins, seals, possibly dolphins and many types of sea birds. So make sure you bring your camera!

At the end of the trip, we return to the farm house before the scenic 30 minute drive back to Akaroa wharf.

From Cruise Port: Akaroa-Christchurch

Included

Collection and drop of in Akaroa
Full instructions
Full safety training and life jackets

Not Included

Any meals

Instructions

You should bring with you, water, sun hat, sun screen, sunglasses [ not expensive just in case they drop into the sea ], warm clothing [ different layers in case it gets hot ] A change of clothes in case they get wet and beach foot wear , just something to wear on the rocks, we go bare foot in the kayaks. The tour does involve lifting the kayaks from their spot on the beach down to the launching area.

This the sign you are looking for in Akaroa, not always the handsome frenchman

Restrictions

The Kayak tour does involve some physical effort, so you should be of a reasonable level of fitness to paddle your own kayaks.
You should feel confident on the water and have reasonable swimming ability.

Standard Tour Schedule Options
	start time	end time
4WD Sea Kayaking Safari	12:00	16:00
Note: Start and end times may be revised to suit ETA / ETD of ship in port

Standard Tour Prices (current)
Adult price	NZ $120.00
Child price (5 to 15 yrs)	NZ $65.00
Infant price (0 to 4 yrs)	NZ $65.00
Note: Infants and children must have a valid ticket to travel

NOTE: Prices may vary depending on your Date of Travel.
Our Booking procedures quote the applicable prices before you commit to a Booking.

AKA-8 4WD Sea Kayaking Safari
The Pohatu reserve was certainly one of the best experience we had during our trip in New Zealand. Had we known better we would have chosen the Pohatu package, but we still got to do the sea kayaking tour and the evening penguin tour. Breathtaking, we loved it! Seals, penguins, dolphins, sheep... And a very nice and passionate staff, you'll be sure to go home not only with good memories but also with a better understanding of the life of these little creatures and of the amazing work they do to protect them.
Celia G, via TripAdvisor [Mar 18]

Kayak tour guide, Rocky was delightful and very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna as well as The human cultural elements off the area. The kayaks were in good shape and the van rid was good. The high point was the geography and the white flippered-penguins and hector dolphins. This is a must see tour and can be handled by anyone with a basic ability to kayak. A1 rating.
Irvine A, via TripAdvisor [Mar 18]

Sorry for the lateness of my review, but I could not miss giving you guys a shout out. My husband and I had a blast kayaking with Ben searching for the hidden blue penguins. The bay was beautiful and calm and we got more excited with every discovery. The conservation work you are doing is amazing. We spent 2 weeks on the south island of NZ. This was our highlight! We hope to come back soon!
Barolo2012, via TripAdvisor [Mar 18]

Amazing scenery. Best tour I've done to get up close with wildlife in a natural way. We saw blue penguins, seals and dolphins! Kevin was an excellent guide. Friendly and informative. The trip over to Pohatu was interesting as well...good to get away from the main part of Akaroa.
Happy visitor

Ben picked us up at the wharf and took us on a breathtaking drive up through the hills down to flea bay. The scenery was amazing. We were shown the basics for kayaking and out into our vessels. The weather was perfect. We had new zealand fur seals come right up to our kayaks being very playful. Ben was a great host and the cup of coffee and sweet treats at the end just topped it off. Very well worth the money.
Another happy client

"Best day of holiday" We had a fantastic kayaking trip with Ben our guide in Flea Bay. Very relaxing but exciting at the same time-saw penguins, seals and lots of sea birds. Would recommend it to everyone.
Happy paddler

Do I have to be an experienced kayaker?

Experience is not necessary, trips are only run in settled safe conditions and fully guided by experienced guides.

Will I get wet?

You may get a bit wet so we suggest you do wear suitable clothing and bring a change of cloths for after the paddle. The kayaks are stable so you should not fall in, but you should be able to swim.

Can children do this trip?

We do have a lower age limit of 7 years on our trips, but do suggest that younger ages would find this trip a little too much. They must also be good swimmers. Children are paired with their parents in the kayaks.

If the tour does not start until 12 o'clock, what can I do in the morning?

The small town of Akaroa, where the ships tenders drop you, is well worth a stroll around, plenty of interesting shops plus great cafes. We suggest you have a snack r lunch before you start the kayak tour.

What if the weather means we can not do the sea kayak trip?

In such cases we offer a full refund, though if the weather is too bad for the kayak trip it will almost certainly be too bad for the ships tenders to bring you ashore as well.