Experience a comfortable up-close encounter with some of the most amazing wildlife and stunning coastlines around Akaroa and Banks Peninsula!
Join us for a wildlife tour that explores the spectacular volcanic coastline and abundant wildlife of Banks Peninsula and Akaroa.
Our wildlife tour numbers are kept limited, offering you a small and intimate tour that will take you where others can’t, with amazing views of New Zealand’s wildlife. Our friendly and knowledgeable crew love meeting and talking with our guests. Tony, a real Kiwi, has been exploring the waters around the Peninsula since the 1960s. He’ll entertain you with his the stories of his adventures and share his enthusiasm for this wonderful environment and stunning wildlife.
Our characterful and comfortable boat - Wairiri, is a 41-foot Kauri Launch built in 1964. Our tours specialise in small groups and enough space to move around the boat for the best wildlife viewing and photo opportunities! On your tour you’ll see gigantic cliffs, go inside sea caves and get close to all the incredible wildlife. Tony often still has a lobster pot out and we pull it up on some of our trips. We never know what we find in it: Lobster, octopus, conger eel, starfish and sand sharks are just a few of the creatures we might have caught.
Experience Akaroa and Banks Peninsula on this intimate boat tour where you’ll see stunning wildlife and extraordinary views of the coastline!
All prices are shown in NZD ($)
Hi Sue Thank you for choosing Coast up Close and this fabulous 5 star review. We love to know that our guests enjoy their time with us out there. Have a great 2024. Cheers, Tony and Mafi
Incredible tour! Saw many birds, seals, and dolphins with great stories and information from Tony and Mafi. An absolute must-see for all, especially if you like wildlife, beautiful views, and photography!
Hi Jenny Thank you for joining our cruise yesterday and this 5 star review, it was a pleasure to have you on board. Enjoy the rest of your NZ trip. All the best, Tony and Mafi
Best boat tour in Akaroa, NZ!! A small group, personal attention, great commentary by Toni and Mafi! We saw so many Hector dolphins! It was clear that they felt comfortable and safe approaching our boat and they spent so much time swimming at the bow of the boat - it was MAGICAL. We also saw lots of seals and even a little blue penguin and a few Albatrosses! Would highly recommend to anyone wanting a genuine delightful trip around the coast!
We hebben genoten van een prachtige trip. En kunnen het iedereen aanraden. Tony en zijn compagnon waren zeer goed in tekst en uitleg. Top
Hi Frans Thank you for joining us yesterday and this fab review. It was lovely to meet you both and we hope the rest of your trip goes well. Cheers, Tony and Mafi
The weather was bright and sunny, and we saw many dolphins swimming alongside the boat, while seals played in the water. The boat wasn't large, but it comfortably accommodated around 12 people, providing a close-up view of the wildlife in the marine reserve. It's definitely an experience worth having!
Hi Rachel, Thank you for taking time for this lovely review. We enjoyed meeting you both and we are very happy you had a good time on our cruise. Cheers, Tony and Mafi
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suew18 from New Zealand wrote on 29 December 2023
Awesome Cruise
What a fab "Coast Up Close" cruise this was⛵️ Our crew Tony & Mafi were awesome with a fantastic array of knowledge👍 We certainly did get up close to nature as it is a small boat!⛵️ We saw loads of dolphins🐬 🐬 🐬, birdlife 🐦🐦🐦, seals🦭🦭🦭 Thank you guys for a fab cruise... we would highly recommend😊