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canterbury
Christchurch is the largest city
in the South Island and the gateway to a wide range of outdoor
experiences throughout Canterbury.
The ‘Garden City’ has a fine English heritage, with
beautiful park-like gardens and punting on the Avon River. But
this is only the start of the outdoor activities on offer in this
region.
Boat cruises in Akaroa and Lyttleton harbours introduce visitors
to the rare Hector’s dolphin and the little blue penguin.
Further north you can snorkel with dusky dolphins and fur seals
at Kaikoura where charter boats often encounter resident sperm
whales. Scuba divers can come face to face with blue sharks and
makos from the safety of a steel cage.
Dive shops in Christchurch and Kaikoura can arrange trips to many
locations along the coast.
Kaikoura Coast
From the South Bay boat ramp guided dive trips lead to 12m deep
reefs where abundant fish and crayfish (lobster) can be found.
The Maori word ‘kai’ means food and ‘koura’
means crayfish. Expect to sight dusky dolphins from the boat. To
snorkel with these playful, acrobatic creatures is a moving
personal experience and a highlight of any New Zealand holiday.
Kaikoura is one of the most exciting dive destinations in the
country.
Motunau Reefs
This area 100 kms north of Christchurch is suitable for
experienced divers and has prolific fish life on the reefs as
well as large schools of pelagic fish.
Banks Peninsula
The northern coast is indented with deep bays and craggy
headlands. Godley Head has a wide variety of southern fish
species and is well known for kingfish. Adderley Head has
interesting caves and good fish life. The southern coast around
Akaroa Harbour has superior visibility of up to 15m in light
northerly conditions. Magnet, Tokoroa and Tumbledown Bays are
popular but Damon’s Bay and Pompey’s Pillar are
regarded as the top dive spots. Akaroa is an important
eco-tourism site and every dive is both surprising and rewarding.
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