Great local guide and added Sea Lion sighting - Chris is a local and knows the history and interesting places. He even took our grouo to a small off the beaten track beach to watch a sea lion feeding her baby in the dunes.

Family reunion at Matariki - We stayed at Ridgecliff Accrington Farmhouse on Chorlton Road. Our Matariki weekend was a family reunion. There were sixteen of us and we all fitted into the lovely old farmhouse in proper beds it wasn't necessary to sleep the young ones on the furniture or the floor. The Farmhouse catered for babies with a cot and high chair. The garden was large enough for the children to kick a ball. Firewood was provided and we enjoyed sitting around the fire reminiscing about the old days a perfect place with walks and history in the surrounding area. Thoroughly enjoyed every second of our stay. We will go back.

Worth Seeing - Very informative & engaging representative. Gave personal insight into sights & went out of his way to accommodate wishes.

Nice trip with pleasant sights. - The scenery was very pretty. Our driver was knowledgeable about the area. We enjoyed seeing the sights. Unfortunately, our driver was unfamiliar with the bus and had some trouble driving it. Nothing that was dangerous but it was disconcerting.

Didn't really see a whole lot - Our full day, small group tour of Christchurch began in Akaroa and was given by Ian. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the city of Christchurch from Akaroa. The scenes along the Banks Peninsula of rich farmlands, green hills, gorgeous clear waters and mountains were just magnificent. We ended up in the Central City of Christchurch, but we really didn't have time to see much. We didn't have any time to explore the Botanic Gardens or the Museum, we didn't get to see much of the CBD at all! We had about an hour to have lunch, and we did have a lovely lunch. However, I wouldn't do this tour again.

Somewhat disappointing - The drive to Christchurch from Akaroa is very beautiful and offers gorgeous NZ landscapes. However, we found our drive to be disappointing in terms of our guide. He did not introduce himself in the beginning (which we think is a must) and we felt his attitude was "just get the job done". He was a very good driver (necessary on windy, mountainous roads) but lacked personal "joy d'vie". The tour offered as advertised but we found it a long day.

too much time on thr... - too much time on thr coach. therefore we only had 1 hour in Christchurch and this made it a rushed visit. the boat docked early, the trip could easily set off at 9:30 giving us more time in Christchurch

Waste of a Day - Although the bus left on time and we were aware of the travel time to Christchurch, we didn’t expect to have only 30 minutes at the botanical gardens (also a bathroom stop). Unfortunately our driver Steve wasn’t the best. The bus didn’t start after our 30 minute stop and he didn’t explain anything to the people on the bus, except for those in the first two rows who he spoke to often without using the microphone. After being stuck for 30 minutes off we went without any explanations of what had been wrong with the bus. We then stopped for an hour and then we drove and drove and drove. I should add our driver seemed to have problems shifting gears and was constantly the only bus to pull into the passing area so other buses and cars could go by. We didn’t realize that the major of the day would be spent on a bus.....over 6 hours of driving. We arrived back at the port at 5:15. I would definitely not recommend this tour.

Not on the tour I purchased. - The tour I was put in went to a wildlife park and I did not purchase that tour. I was supposed to be on the tour with more time in Christchurch. The guide was very rude about anything you asked her. Disgusting wasted day.

Not a Good Choice - This excursion was very poorly planned. There was some delay at the Port with our group bus not arriving on time, we were taken in a large bus to the Museum in Christchurch, where we had only 20 minutes to see the museum and the adjacent Botanical Gardens. This was the main attraction for me, and it was very disappointing not to have the opportunity to see very much there. When we were seated on a smaller bus for the rest of the tour, although it was a new vehicle, it was so crowded and seats so small that it was uncomfortable. After a short drive in the City we stopped for lunch but were told that there was no time to have lunch in a restaurant, just 30 minutes so we could pick up something from a take-out. This was not as described when we purchased this tour. We then drove back to the Ship. The route was long, and we had one stop along the way at Little River where there were restrooms and a small store. The drive after that, back to the Ship, seemed dangerously fast on the hilly and curved road. Basically we drove all day and had 3 short stops where we could not really experience or enjoy the City. The tour drive was fine in explaining the sites that we did see but it was not a good experience over all.