Akaroa
A French-flavoured town in a flooded volcanic crater harbour on Banks Peninsula, where boat trips spot the world's smallest dolphin, Hector's dolphins, and you can even swim with them.
Akaroa lies about 80 km southeast of Christchurch on Banks Peninsula, in a harbour that fills an ancient flooded volcanic crater and is ringed by hills. French settlers landed here in 1840 to establish a colony, and French character still lingers in street names (Rue Lavaud, Rue Balguerie), colonial-era timber houses, and French-style cafés and bakeries. The most popular activity is a boat trip out of the harbour to see Hector's dolphins, one of the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world, found only in New Zealand. They grow to about 1.2 to 1.5 metres and have a distinctive rounded black dorsal fin. Harbour cruises take about 2 hours, and you may also see seals, little blue penguins and volcanic sea cliffs. In summer you can join a swim-with-dolphins tour, with wetsuits provided. The town has a lighthouse, the timber St Patrick's Catholic Church (1878), and the Giant's House mosaic art garden. Many restaurants serve salmon, oysters and fish and chips. Getting there: it is about 1.5 hours' drive from Christchurch, and the Hilltop lookout on the way gives you a view over the whole harbour. Day-trip buses also run. Note: the peninsula roads are very winding, and on cruise-ship days the town is crowded.
Opening hours
Open all day; harbour boat tours year-round (weather permitting); swimming with dolphins about Nov–Apr
Nearby sights
- Godley Head / Awaroa
- Sumner Beach & Cave Rock
- Lyttelton
- Christchurch Gondola
- New Brighton Pier
- Christchurch Adventure Park
- 185 Empty Chairs
- Transitional (Cardboard) Cathedral