2 Hour Nature Safari in Akaroa Wildside Conservation Area

If you're spending a day in Akaroa, this 2-hour nature safari is the perfect way to experience the wild and beautiful side of Banks Peninsula without taking up your whole day.

Travelling by comfortable 4WD minibus, you'll wind through rolling farmland and forested hillsides with breathtaking views of Akaroa Harbour and the dramatic outer coastline, before arriving at Pohatu/Flea Bay - a sheltered bay overlooking the Pohatu Marine Reserve and home to the world's largest mainland colony of white-flippered penguins, a rare subspecies of the little blue penguin found nowhere else on earth in such numbers.

Along the way, your guide will share the fascinating history of the area, introduce you to the native flora and fauna of Banks Peninsula, and explain the remarkable conservation programme that has made Pohatu one of New Zealand's great wildlife recovery stories.

Once at the bay, you'll be greeted by the farm's famously friendly pet sheep - always eager for a treat from your hand - before heading out on a walk to learn about the ongoing conservation work monitoring nesting sites around the bay. In season, you'll have the rare opportunity to see white-flippered penguins up close in their natural habitat, a genuinely unforgettable wildlife encounter.

Relaxed, informative, and genuinely special - this is Akaroa beyond the harbour, for those who want to see a little more of what makes Banks Peninsula so extraordinary.