Coast up Close Wildlife Tours — Attraction in Banks Peninsula Community

Our group of 6 (2 kids aged 9 and 11) had a truly wonderfully memorable trip! The boat size meant we didn’t feel the swells as much and we were able to get up quite close to the rocks to see waterfalls, seals, birds and even a dolphin hunting a fish!

The team was extremely knowledgeable and their passion and enthusiasm for the area and wildlife were contagious. Our kids have come back from this trip with a deeper understanding of “what’s out there” and we got amazing photos to help keep the memories intact.

The opportunities we had for photographs were much better on this trip than others we’ve been on. It helped to have an avid photographer on the crew. He pointed out good shots and made sure to slow the boat down enabling us to see and photograph the dolphins and birds (and scenery).

I would absolutely recommend Coast up Close to anyone looking for a memorable boat trip in a stunning area. It was well worth the...

I went on a wildlife tour with Coast Up Close. We saw lots of dolphins, penguins, seals and different birds. Mafi and Tony are two locals from Akaroa and you immediately notice their enthusiasm for nature and wildlife. They organise the tour in a very personal way, very different from what you are used to from large tour companies! I enjoyed the tour so much that I immediately booked an additional fishing tour with them. I didn't have much fishing experience beforehand, but they were great at explaining things and always helped when needed. We caught lots of fish and were even allowed to take our catch home! It was a truly unique experience! If you're looking for a personal, caring tour of the Akaroa Harbour, Coast Up Close, Mafi and Tony are the perfect people to go with! I can only recommend it to everyone and will...

This was honestly one of the best days I've spent travelling in NZ in the last two years, myself my boyfriend and 3 friends all went on the morning cruise from Akaroa, apart from the fact we were blessed with exceptional weather the boat seemed to be a wildlife magnet. Everywhere I looked there were Hectors dolphins, sea birds, jellyfish, krill, seals, we even thought we briefly spotted a penguin. Tony the skipper is a legend, so knowledgeable and fun, introducing us to everything we laid our eyes on, with a good knowledge of history, geology and wildlife, you won't be disappointed. The boat is small enough to be able to get up really close to the exceptional coastline once you leave the bay and it is truly magical. Thanks for a great day Tony, we will treasure...