Coast up Close Scenic Tours

My son, his partner and I enjoyed the recent tour with Tony and Mafi very much. It was a lovely still day and we were delighted to get out past the heads and a kilometer or more up the coast. A fantastic experience which we recommend.

I had a lovely trip with coast up close. Tony the skipper is very nice and has lots of information about Akaroa harbour and wildlife. We saw penguins, dolphins, seals and many birds! also loved scruffy, the dog :D would definitely recommend!

Tony gave us a fantastic tour. We saw dolphins, penguins and seals with one seal dramatically eating an octopus it had caught. Everyone in our group had a great time!

Great experience! Akaroa Harbour has an incredible scenery and amazing wildlife. We saw penguins, seals and even dolphins.Our skippers Tony and Mafi made us feel very welcome. They are very passionate about nature & conservation.All in all a very personal experience on a comfortable boat with friendly local people! I would definitely come back!

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 price and time!

We had such a great trip! Saw lots of wildlife like dolphin (with babies!!), seals, a star fish and lots of birds. Highly recommend going out with Tony and Mafi.

We took a trip with Tony in November and it was one of the high points of our 2 week stay in NZ. Highlights: Hector dolphins playing & racing under our boat, fur seals basking on rocks, catching fish, pulling a lobster trap and exploring caves!Tony was very knowledgeable about everything to do with the water and Akaroa. We also learned so much about NZ culture and history. I highly recommend the trip!

Fabulous trip on Akaroa harbour with Coast up Close. Tony & Mafi are so knowledgeable on the wildlife that is seen on the trip. Pointing out not only the dolphin & seals. But birdlife, penguins & the history of Harbour itself. Would highly recommend a trip with Coast up Close than any bigger, faster boat trips that are available in Akaroa.

The boat was smaller than I thought but the smaller the closer to the wildlife. The skipper Tony, his fellow and a friendly boat dog Scruffy. What a great team! This small-group tour gave us a more comfortable and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended.Tip: You may need to allow enough time to get to Akaroa. Might take time to find parking near the main wharf during the peak season. Better use the public toilet before getting on the boat. Tour duration: about 2.5 hrs.