Akaroa is a charming town 1 hour and 20 minutes from the city of Christchurch. Tucked amongst the hills of Banks Peninsula is a small town that still radiates French culture, dating back to its founding settlers in 1840. Whether you’re looking f0r marine wildlife encounters, escaping into the hills, or exploring a historical time capsule, Akaroa offers it all. So if you’re worth wondering “is Akaroa worth visiting?” – Short answer: Yes!
Expect quaint French named streets, colonial architecture and some truly unique experiences to New Zealand that you simply won’t want to miss.
Where is Akaroa?
Located half way down on the South Island’s east coast, Banks Peninsula protrudes into the Pacific Ocean. Amongst the rugged hills is nestled a small harbourside town with a colourful history – however, many people still question “is Akaroa worth visiting?”
Maori tribes first settled upon Akaroa when hunting for Moa (giant flightless bird). Several centuries later, the first French ships entered the calm waters of Akaroa harbour in 1837. Initially in search of New Zealand’s prized whales, Captain Lavaud’s attention was soon turned to extending France’s colonial territories. Any thoughts of French conquest in New Zealand were soon squashed as the British heard news of the French interest and raced down to Akaroa, planting the Union Jack flag and declaring sovereignty over the entirety of the South Island prior to any French settlers arriving. Nonetheless, these early French whaling stations have left a long-lasting mark in this quiet corner of New Zealand.
Akaroa, Banks Peninsula Community, Christchurch City, Canterbury, New Zealand
How to get to Akaroa?
No matter your mode of transport, there’s only one way in and out of Akaroa, and that’s via State Highway 75. When looking at a map, Akaroa appears deceptively close to Christchurch, but this 81km drive takes a while longer than Google Maps says – so allow a little extra time (after all, a good roady is all about the journey)!
Car / Campervan: From Christchurch, it’s a 81km drive that should take 1hr 20 minutes (according to Google Maps), but if you’re renting an older campervan, they struggle up the winding hills meaning 2hrs+ is much more realistic. With so many beautiful lookouts along the way this really doesn’t matter though – so enjoy the ride!
Public Transport: If you find yourself in Christchurch and don’t have your own vehicle, Intercity operate a bus service to Akaroa. Buses depart once daily costing $35 each way:
- Depart Christchurch 8:50am – Arrive Akaroa 11:30am
- Depart Akaroa 4:00pm – Arrive Christchurch 5:45pm
How long do I need to spend in Akaroa?
If you live in New Zealand, then Akaroa would be a great place to visit for a weekend to feel transported back in time and experience all it has to offer. If you’re visiting New Zealand from overseas and you’re on a tight time frame then just one day and night is sufficient, and this works perfectly with the public transport connections too! Either way, here’s why you absolutely should not skip visiting Akaroa on your South Island itinerary.
Best things to do in Akaroa
1. Swim with the worlds smallest and rarest dolphin
This is one of the best things I have done in New Zealand, hands down. It’s an eerie feeling heading out into the deep waters of the Akaroa Harbour and jumping off the boat, bobbing around and looking into the deep blue waters. After just a few minutes, tens of Hector’s dolphins emerge from the waves, flashing past just inches away before coming round to play again!
Swimming with dolphins can get a bad wrap , but this is a super eco-friendly tour, with no trackers or food used. These incredibly playful creatures come to the boat purely off their own inquisitive nature!
There are a few companies that offer this in the area, but we recommend Black Cat Cruises Dolphin Swim. Black Cat provide two cruise options every day, departing at either 9:30am or 12:30pm and costing $219 per person. Their group numbers are small, but their boat is big enough to handle some rougher weather conditions. The team also captured some incredible photos of us in the water which we had no idea about. It was the best surprise when they were sent to us afterwards!
The weather was pretty terrible for us, but I was really surprised that the 5mm wetsuits provided kept us so warm and floating easily in the water, without really having to work hard at all. Even though the visibility wasn’t so good under the water, we still managed to capture some amazing footage on our GoPro which shows just how close the dolphins came to us.
2. Enjoy fine dining at Ma Maison
In keeping with the French influence of the town, Ma Maison serves up some seriously high level dishes, combining the best of locally sourced New Zealand ingredients which a French-inspired twist!
Besides delicious food, the restaurant is in a beautiful setting right on the waters edge, overlooking Akaroa Harbour.
We’d highly recommend ordering the Venison and the seared Tuna, both of them beautifully presented and perfectly complemented.
3. Hike to Stony Bay Peak
Take note, the road to this track is difficult and along steep, unsealed roads. We saw 3 cars in ditches so it requires some careful driving and takes far longer than Google Maps predicts.
Head out of Akaroa town via Rue Balguerie, which swiftly merges into Stony Bay Road. Follow the meandering track up the hills until you see a makeshift parking sign on the left near some worn information boards – it’s subtle, but make sense once you get there!
The track itself takes around 1 hour return to complete the 4km hike and isn’t too steep as the car has done most of the uphill for you!
There can’t be too many people who walk the track often, we didn’t see anybody else and it was overgrown to the point plants were covering the route which at times made it a little difficult. However, the views were beautiful, even on a moody day! The low clouds rolling through the valley gave an eerie feel up on the summit and made for a really interesting stop.
If you have extra time, you could look at doing the Misty Bay Peak hike, which is a longer alternative to this one! Although we personally ran out of time to do it, we’ve heard great reviews and recommendations from others who have.
4. Walk around Akaroa Harbour and mooch around the shops
If you’re on a tight budget, this is a great way to spend a few hours and not spend a thing – although we would definitely recommend getting a coffee for your stroll from the Peninsula General Store.
There is lots of beautiful French-inspired architecture to admire, and a few statues and notice boards to learn more about the rich history of the area.
You can walk all the way along the harbour to a small lighthouse which also gives a great view of the bay on a good weather day – sadly ours was a little wet!
5. Take the Scenic Route
Even the drive just to get to Akaroa is beautiful. If you’re after all the benefits of a typical New Zealand road trip, then adding this to your itinerary is definitely worth it.
As you’re following Google maps, you’ll come to a cross roads with a brown sign which offers for you to follow the scenic route. Doing this will take you over the rolling hills and then winding down into the valley, and the vistas will be well worth all the hair-pin switchbacks. From the highest points on the peninsula you can see the across all of Banks Peninsula, out into the Pacific Ocean and as far as the Southern Alps!
Looking to spend longer in the South Island?
A weekend in Akaroa ticks all the boxes if you’re wanting to experience the local marine life, reconnect with the great outdoors and enjoy brilliant French cuisine.
However, if you’re fortunate to have more than a few days to explore this area, check out our Top of the South road trip itinerary for more travel ideas!