Akaroa

[cassiw]

Depends how many people you want to go with & what type of boat. All the trips are good. Coast up Close is a refurbished lovely old launch that takes it quietly whereas Akaroa Dolphins is a larger modern faster vessel with more people. Both good, just different & depends what you like. Have fun choosing. Either way I'm sure you'll love it.:)

Thanks Mrs. Whiskers for all your help we are looking forward to our day in Akaroa, will keep a look out for you when we are there. We are hoping to book with Coast up Close because of the smaller boat. Thanks again

[cjm66]

Hello Mrs Whiskers -

 

I have been trying to work out where the main tender wharf is exactly so we can plan out our day. H uses a small moblity scooter which has a definite but variable range depending on the incline so location is important to us. I will be taking an early morning dolphin swim before returning to the ship at abolut midday to tender back with H for lunch on shore. I have not been able to locate the tender wharf on a google map so I can then work out distances to the I site, shops, restaurants etc. H does not enjoy long coach tours and likes to scoot around exploring on our own. BTW are the shops open Saturday afternoon?

 

You seem to be a mine of information - thanks for taking the time!

 

Colleen

[erewhon]

Mrs Whiskers,

 

The cruise ship we are travelling on, visits Akaroa on a Sunday.

Will shops be open?

[maxmia]

We are on the Oceania Regatta and will be in Akaroa on March 3rd. We booked a ships excursion for the TRanzalpine Express. Its a long excursion almost 9 hrs. Has anyone done this before? Is there aside of the train to get a better view we should sit on?

We did this trip 4 years ago, (not on a cruise at that time) It was a great trip, it was early winter, lots of snow, they have an open carriage so you can move from side to side and see whatever. The scenery is great from both sides, but if you want to sit, maybe right going. left return. Wear something warm, or take a jacket. You will love this trip.

[barnaby2you]

Do you know how many passengers they take? Wondering how crowded it might be. Also wondering what happens if it's cold, wet and windy/choppy on the water!

[cjm66]

Update on Akaroa

 

I did some research and found this site:

 

http://www.akaroa.com/fpnew/fastpage/fpengine.php/templateid/204

 

Full of information - two excellent maps and they seem to have updated it to be cruiser friendly - see extract below. We will give the golf a miss but enjoy a walk to the markets. Anyone pining for a game of golf?

 

Akaroa Craft Market:

The Akaroa Craft market will be happening on every cruise ship day. This is at Trinity Church Grounds 15 minutes walk from the main wharf (or take the free loop shuttle to other end of town).

 

 

Akaroa Golf Course:

 

Colleen

 

 

Fantastic Scenic 18 hole course. Book with Hollie at wharf. 10am free pick up from wharf. Light lunch & bar available. Trundlers, clubs & carts available. No shoes are available so bring your own footwear. Green fees $30, Club hire $25.

www.akaroagolf.co.nz

[vkay]

Thanks so much for this link - we are going to NZ for the first time on Sun Princess next January... getting excited! Cheers...

[mrswhiskers]

Akaroa is not a very big place and you may find the ship will book out any tours that are available.

Ships tours may be the only way , and they will sell out quickly.

Any local tour operators would have to come all the way over from Christchurch, and that would also add to the expense.

 

 

Hi

Can assure you there are lots of tours available once you get off the ship. I've posted several on other replies but to recap...on the water:

Coast up Close, Black Cat, Akaroa Dolphins, A Class Sailing, Fox II

on land: A Classic Ride, Shamarra Alpaca Farm, Red Bus, City Line, various shuttles & taxis, a double decker bus to the Hilltop, etc. There are details available at the info centre on the wharf & representatives of some are there in person until they are full.

have fun :)

[mrswhiskers]

Mrs Whiskers,

 

The cruise ship we are travelling on, visits Akaroa on a Sunday.

Will shops be open?

 

 

Yes they will indeed :)

[mrswhiskers]

Hello Mrs Whiskers -

 

I have been trying to work out where the main tender wharf is exactly so we can plan out our day. H uses a small moblity scooter which has a definite but variable range depending on the incline so location is important to us. I will be taking an early morning dolphin swim before returning to the ship at abolut midday to tender back with H for lunch on shore. I have not been able to locate the tender wharf on a google map so I can then work out distances to the I site, shops, restaurants etc. H does not enjoy long coach tours and likes to scoot around exploring on our own. BTW are the shops open Saturday afternoon?

 

You seem to be a mine of information - thanks for taking the time!

 

Colleen

 

Hi

For some reason the replies to threads have stopped coming to my email so just doing a wee skip thru now to see what's what .

 

If you have a look at google maps akaroa, canterbury & use satellite view you will see the biggest wharf with the buildings on it. That is where the tenders are coming to. Between there & the north end of town is flat along the water front & no problem for mobility scoooters. It's about 1.2 km from the wharf to the far end of town. Once you get off the main waterfront back towards the hills the slope increases. However the shops are all along the flat. There are several scooter users in town & they seem to manage much of it very well. The slope around to the lighthouse is not great.

If you have trouble finding the wharf search Black Cat on google maps. They are located directly on the wharf.

 

And yes the shops will be open. On most cruise ship days there is also a little craft market at the church at the north end of town.

All the best!

[mrswhiskers]

I've been searching for tours also. Found some that go to a farm and a few harbour tours but nothing else that starts in Akaroa. Lots of tours from Christchurch to this area but they don't help cruisers.

 

Lots of tours available from the main wharf. Sea/land etc....I've put a lot on other replies on Akaroa threads. http://www.akaroa.com has many of them.

 

From our observations the passengers on tours booked thru the ship come off first however there are some folk who manage to come ashore & just spend the day independently. There are some lovely walks, cafes, shops etc.

 

Personally I don't understand people wanting to go to the city when the scenery & experiences around the Akaroa area are so lovely & varied but that's just me :)

 

What kind of tour are you specifically looking for? I'll see if I can help.

[cjm66]

Hi

For some reason the replies to threads have stopped coming to my email so just doing a wee skip thru now to see what's what .

 

Snip

 

And yes the shops will be open. On most cruise ship days there is also a little craft market at the church at the north end of town.

All the best!

 

Thanks Mrswhiskers.

 

The Akaroa site has a wonderful activities map - one of the best I have seen but it is hard to work out the hilly stuff without some local advice. I am doing the (very) early morning dolphin cruise and then back to the ship to pick up Harry and wander the town. I know you recommend being out and about but he loves harbour areas, working towns and fish and chips.

 

Colleen

[mrswhiskers]

Thanks Mrswhiskers.

 

The Akaroa site has a wonderful activities map - one of the best I have seen but it is hard to work out the hilly stuff without some local advice. I am doing the (very) early morning dolphin cruise and then back to the ship to pick up Harry and wander the town. I know you recommend being out and about but he loves harbour areas, working towns and fish and chips.

 

Colleen

 

Hi Colleen

The harbour area is quite small...there is one commercial fishing boat & several tour boats use the wharf.

Essentially if you look on the map & find Rue Jolie (both ends...there is a part of it on the north side of French Bay & lines up with the south end...they were going to reclaim some land & join it but never have) it is flat between SH75 & Bruce Tce. It then rises moderately to the hospital. Rue Lavaud & Beach Rd also flat but with a moderate slope at the base of Garden of Tane around to the lighthouse. The streets that run perpendicular to Rue Jolie vary in steepness. Rue Grehan is gentle, Rue Balguerie is gentle. Rue Benoit & Smith St Steep as in extremely! Muter & Watson Sts steep in patches, Selwyn Ave flat rising to moderate. You will have no problem getting the mobility scooter from the wharf to the fish & chip shop :)

I hope this helps. If you need more just ask...I'm happy to help.

[erewhon]

mrswhiskers,

 

Thank you for replying that the shops will be open Sundays.

You are giving lots of helpful advice to everyone visiting these boards.

Thank you, it's greatly appreciated.

 

Are you booked for a cruise in the near future?

[mrswhiskers]

mrswhiskers,

 

Thank you for replying that the shops will be open Sundays.

You are giving lots of helpful advice to everyone visiting these boards.

Thank you, it's greatly appreciated.

 

Are you booked for a cruise in the near future?

 

Hi Erewhon

Most of the ships would normally have docked at Lyttleton so we are doing our best to make sure passengers don't feel they have missed out on anything & hopefully find some really special things to do here.

Glad I have been able to help.

Unfortunately no I am not booked on a cruise in the near future however I have been doing lots of looking for my bucket list & have my eye on a nice long SKI (spend the kids inheritance) holiday in a couple of years time.;)

One thing that people might consider if choosing bus tours etc is some of them wait until they are full before departing which may mean a longish wait.

Have a fun time.

[erewhon]

Hi Erewhon

Most of the ships would normally have docked at Lyttleton so we are doing our best to make sure passengers don't feel they have missed out on anything & hopefully find some really special things to do here.

Glad I have been able to help.

Unfortunately no I am not booked on a cruise in the near future however I have been doing lots of looking for my bucket list & have my eye on a nice long SKI (spend the kids inheritance) holiday in a couple of years time.;)

One thing that people might consider if choosing bus tours etc is some of them wait until they are full before departing which may mean a longish wait.

Have a fun time.

 

It's several years since we last visited Akaroa, so we are looking forward to our visit next month.

A cruise is a great way to have a holiday.:)

[mrswhiskers]

It's several years since we last visited Akaroa, so we are looking forward to our visit next month.

A cruise is a great way to have a holiday.:)

 

Sure is! Our first & last so far was fabulous. So relaxing. I love travel & exploring & sometimes it's just great to let someone else take care of the details! A cruise is excellent for that & meeting lovely people from all corners of the world.

Hope you enjoy ours. I look forward to hearing about your experience.

[erewhon]

Thanks,mrs whiskers.

[mrswhiskers]

I have just found out that The Stables Cafe & Bar has taken delivery of an outdoor pool table so that will be a novelty. They have a children's play area too.

Akaroa Adventure Centre are hiring kayaks, bicycles & taking bookings for Kate Tapley Horse Treks which are a great way of seeing Banks Peninsula.

 

Some of the bus trips into Christchurch go in to the botanic gardens & Hagley Park. From there you can walk or take a bus trip to view the deconstruction of the city centre, go to the new pop up container mall or taxi to the Antarctic Centre.

 

If that's not your thing there is plenty to do around Akaroa :)

[Banksia42]

Hi there Mrswhiskers,

Have been following this thread for a short time and thanks for the great information. We will arrive on the Radaiane of the Seas on the 23rd Dec. which is a Friday so it appears as if things will be all on in Akaora on that day.We intend to stay mainly in town for the day .

Thanks again

Ron

[mrswhiskers]

Thanks Ron. Glad to know it's been helpful. There are some fantastic experiences to be had around here with things to do that just aren't available anywhere else in NZ & possibly even the world in some cases.

A lot of the tours etc are excellent & run by owner operators (e.g. Coast up Close, A Classic Ride, The Eastern Bays Mail Run) who don't have huge advertising budgets so it's a case of looking for what's available & making some decisions :) There are also some excellent exclusive options with bigger operators as well e.g swim with dolphins. The biggest tour operating out of Akaroa is Black Cat with a capacity of 99 so off a cruise ship of 2000 pax it is still only a small number.

One theme that seems to come through from passengers is a fear of being late back to the ship. Obviously if you are on an activity not booked through the cruise company they won't wait for you if your activity is late back. All the operators I know are acutely aware of this & so far the only late passengers back that I have heard about have been on cruise company booked tours.

I do hope everyone who has been reading these posts will tell us about their experiences so that if there are things that we can do better we can work on it.

Happy cruising :)

[pingtontsang]

Akaroa is a small but beautiful town set in an area of fascinating history. The scenery is fabulous.

 

Hi mrswhiskers, thank you for all those great information.

 

We will arrive on Jan. 26, and one of the Princess Shore excursions - "Canterbury Station, Mt Sunday and Lord of the Rings Sights", that journey take us to Rakala Gorge, Staveley than head inland towards Southern Alps and stop at Lake Clearwater, Mt.Potts Station-home of Edoras. I haven't seen anyone mantion those places, how would you compare this trip with Tranz Alpine Train & Arthur's Pass, which one is most scenic ? Your advice will be very much appreciated. Thank you. :)

 

Hsiu

[mrswhiskers]

Hi mrswhiskers, thank you for all those great information.

 

We will arrive on Jan. 26, and one of the Princess Shore excursions - "Canterbury Station, Mt Sunday and Lord of the Rings Sights", that journey take us to Rakala Gorge, Staveley than head inland towards Southern Alps and stop at Lake Clearwater, Mt.Potts Station-home of Edoras. I haven't seen anyone mantion those places, how would you compare this trip with Tranz Alpine Train & Arthur's Pass, which one is most scenic ? Your advice will be very much appreciated. Thank you. :)

 

Hsiu

 

Hi Hsiu

If you want to do such a long trip the scenery on either trip will be exceptional. Obviously one takes in the Lord of the Rings sites & the other does not. They are different trips and both will be good.

I have done the Transalpine. It is spectacular. I used to live in Mid Canterbury so I know the LTR trip sites well. It too will be spectacular.

I guess you need to ask yourself do you prefer bus or train?

Do you want to see LTR sites specifically?

Some of the scenery will be similar between the two...they both cross Canterbury Plains & both go to the mountains. The Transalpine goes across the mountains to the West Coast & you will see more forest. Because it is summer none of the mountains will have very much snow (usually).

I don't think you will be disappointed with either trip but they will both involve long journeys.

I hope this helps & look forward to hearing what you choose to do. It is always hard making decisions when there are so many good choices and you can not do everything.

Maybe one day you can come back & do the other trip. :)

[mkccltr]

My DH and I were in Akaroa on Oct 12th. We had originally booked a tour with Discovery Travel out of Christchurch but when our port got changed to Akaroa Discovery Travel adjusted our tour and came to Akaroa.

 

We had a new 18 passenger van/minibus that had A/C and very comfortable. We took a scenic ride over the mountain into Christchurch viewing the devistation from the earthquake. We stopped at a Gluten Free bakery. Of course there was other food but being gluten free it was a special treat to have a chicken pie.

 

We later went to the Willowbank Wild Life Preserve where there was many different species of animals. Could have spent more time there but it was an easy walk through on a wooden platform.

 

We took a different road back stopping for an ice cream and a potty stop. After viewing the port for Christchurch I was so glad we tendered in Akaroa. Christchurch would have been another shipping terminal where in Akaroa we went into a beautiful lagoon. They should make this there permanent stop.

 

Good luck and happy cruising whatever tour you take ours cost $50 US and 25 to get into the preserve. Well worth it.

[pingtontsang]

Hi Hsiu

If you want to do such a long trip the scenery on either trip will be exceptional. Obviously one takes in the Lord of the Rings sites & the other does not. They are different trips and both will be good.

I have done the Transalpine. It is spectacular. I used to live in Mid Canterbury so I know the LTR trip sites well. It too will be spectacular.

I guess you need to ask yourself do you prefer bus or train?

Do you want to see LTR sites specifically?

Some of the scenery will be similar between the two...they both cross Canterbury Plains & both go to the mountains. The Transalpine goes across the mountains to the West Coast & you will see more forest. Because it is summer none of the mountains will have very much snow (usually).

I don't think you will be disappointed with either trip but they will both involve long journeys.

I hope this helps & look forward to hearing what you choose to do. It is always hard making decisions when there are so many good choices and you can not do everything.

Maybe one day you can come back & do the other trip. :)

 

Hi mrswhiskers,

 

Thank you very much for your prompt reply.:)

 

Yes, both trip are long, about 10 hours for Tranz Alpine Train trip and it begins with motorcoach travel two hours to Darfield, than another one and half hours to Arthurs Pass, on board the train from Arthurs Pass to Rolleston than bus - two hours ride back to the ship. the train journey does not go all the way to the West coast- Gregmouth, does it miss most scenic part of journey ? I do like the LTR movies, but to go to the sites not because " been there " feeling but for its fascinating scenery.

 

For sure, I will let you know about the decisions. You are right, may be one day we'll come back to do the other trip.:)

Thank you again. :):)

 

Hsiu