Alps, Whales & Late-Night Bars: A Christchurch Adventure Week
See it in NavoySeven packed days based in Christchurch, mixing big South Island scenery with the city's markets, craft beer and bar scene. The highlights are the TranzAlpine train with Arthur's Pass walks, a Kaikōura whale tour, an Akaroa dolphin cruise, a gorge jet boat ride and the Port Hills and Sumner coast. Evenings are spent hopping between laneway bars, food halls and Lyttelton pubs. Costs are estimates for the group of three, with a rental car for the longer days.
1River, Gardens and City Lights
$280Start gently in the garden city: botanic gardens, a punt on the Avon, art and market food. Then head up the Port Hills for views over the plains and finish with a first night out in the Terrace bar precinct.
River, Gardens and City Lights
Christchurch Botanic Gardens Stroll
Wander the rose garden, towering trees and Avon riverbanks in Hagley Park's green heart. It is free and a good way to get your bearings.
Punting on the Avon
Glide past willows and weeping banks with a hat-clad punter guiding you along the Avon, the classic Christchurch experience.
Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu
Browse bold Aotearoa and Pacific contemporary art. Entry to the main collection is free, so you can pick the highlights.
Lunch at Riverside Market
Graze through the indoor food market on Oxford Terrace for local cheese, pies, Asian street food, coffee and fresh produce.
Christchurch Gondola and Summit Views
Take a rideshare to Heathcote and ride the gondola 445 m up the Port Hills. You get views over the city, Lyttelton Harbour and the Southern Alps, plus short summit walks.
Dinner and Drinks on The Terrace
Spend your first night on the riverside Terrace precinct, with a relaxed dinner, cocktails and craft beer among the city's most lively venues.
2Across the Alps by Rail
$770An early start on the TranzAlpine, one of the world's great train journeys, to Arthur's Pass National Park. You get about six hours in the mountains for waterfall walks and village time before the evening train home and a food hall dinner.
Across the Alps by Rail
TranzAlpine Train to Arthur's Pass
Check in at Addington station by 07:55 for the 08:15 departure. The train crosses the Canterbury Plains and climbs through gorges and beech forest to Arthur's Pass. The budget covers return day fares for three.
Devils Punchbowl Falls Walk
Walk the well-formed track with steps and a final climb to the base of the 131 m waterfall. Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes return.
Village Lunch and Bealey Chasm Walk
Have a casual lunch in the alpine village, where kea parrots often turn up. Then walk the Bealey Valley track towards the chasm and Dobson Nature Walk for more mountain views.
Return TranzAlpine to Christchurch
Board the 16:30 train from the Arthur's Pass platform. The return trip is covered by the day fare already paid. It arrives back at Addington around 19:00.
Little High Eatery Dinner
Eat at this High Street food hall, which has local street food stalls and a good bar. It is a relaxed place to unwind after the mountains.
3Whales of Kaikōura
$425Pick up the rental car and drive the coast road north to Kaikōura for a close encounter with sperm whales, then see fur seals on the peninsula. Return to the city for a late casual dinner.
Whales of Kaikōura
Coastal Drive to Kaikōura
Collect the rental car by 06:15 and head north on SH1 past vineyards and the Pacific. The drive takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, so you can make the whale tour check-in. Take coffee for the road.
Whale Watch Kaikōura Boat Tour
Check in at the Whaleway Station and take the mid-morning sailing on a purpose-built catamaran. Guides track resident sperm whales, with albatross and dolphins as possible extras. The tour takes about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Seafood Lunch in Kaikōura
Try Kaikōura's crayfish and fresh seafood at a casual café or roadside stand. The town is named for the Māori word for eating crayfish.
Point Kean Seals and Peninsula Walk
Walk out to the Point Kean seal colony and follow the Kaikōura Peninsula clifftop track for sea and mountain views.
Drive Back to Christchurch
Take the scenic southbound drive back, about 2 hours 30 minutes, with a quick stop for the sunset coast if the light is good.
Welles Street Dinner and a Drink
Have a late, casual dinner and one craft beer or cocktail in the Welles Street bar strip.
4Akaroa Dolphins and Lyttelton Nights
$270Drive over the Banks Peninsula volcano rim to the French-flavoured harbour town of Akaroa for a cruise with rare Hector's dolphins. The drive back loops through the Lyttelton pubs.
Akaroa Dolphins and Lyttelton Nights
Summit Road Drive and Hilltop Lookout
Head east on SH75 and stop at Hilltop for the first view of Akaroa Harbour, then wind down through the hills of Banks Peninsula. About 1 hour 30 minutes.
Akaroa Harbour Dolphin Cruise
Cruise the volcanic harbour looking for Hector's dolphins, the world's smallest and rarest, plus seals and seabirds. About 2 hours.
Harbourfront Fish & Chips Lunch
Order fresh local fish and chips and eat on the waterfront, then browse the French-style streets.
French Bay Coastal Walk
Walk the harbour edge to French Bay, with views over the bays and the volcanic rim. About 1 to 1.5 hours return.
Lyttelton Harbour Pub Crawl
Drive about 1 hour 30 minutes back and spend the evening on Norwich Quay and London Street, where the port town's old pubs and live music venues are. Take a taxi if drinking.
5Gorge Jet Boats and Quake Stories
$410Start with adrenaline on a gorge jet boat, then learn how Christchurch rebuilt after the earthquakes. End the day on the Port Hills at sunset and in the bar lanes.
Gorge Jet Boats and Quake Stories
Waimakariri Gorge Jet Boat
Drive about 1 hour to the gorge for a high-speed jet boat ride through narrow canyon walls and braided river shallows.
Lunch at Re:START Mall
Return to the city for lunch from the container shops and street food at Re:START, the earthquake pop-up mall turned local favourite.
Quake City Museum
See the personal stories, footage and objects of the 2010–11 earthquakes and the city's recovery. Allow about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Sign of the Takahe and Victoria Park Walk
Drive into the Cashmere Hills for a short forest walk and a viewpoint over the plains. Late afternoon light is good here.
SOL Square and Poplar Lane Bar Hop
Spend the evening at bars and eateries around SOL Square, with craft beer, cocktails and live music in the lanes.
6Markets, Surf Coast and Saturday Night
$180Saturday begins with the farmers' market in a grand old estate, then moves to the Sumner and Scarborough coast for cliffs, beach time and a clifftop walk. The night belongs to the bars.
Markets, Surf Coast and Saturday Night
Riccarton House Farmers' Market
Browse the Saturday market in the grounds of Riccarton House with local growers, bakers and coffee. Then take the short walk through the Riccarton Bush forest remnant.
Sumner Beach Lunch
Drive about 25 minutes to Sumner for a seaside lunch at one of the beachfront cafés.
Scarborough to Taylors Mistake Coastal Walk
Follow the clifftop track from Sumner over Scarborough Head to the surf bay at Taylors Mistake, with views of the Pacific and the volcanic cliffs. Allow about 2 hours 30 minutes return.
Cave Rock and Sumner Beach Time
Cool off with a swim or paddle and climb through Cave Rock at low tide. Check tide times first.
Saturday Night Out on High Street
Dress up and head into the city for dinner, then bar-hop through High Street and the nearby lanes, with live music and craft beer.
7City Stories and a Farewell Toast
$150Spend the final day in the central city with memorials, architecture and coffee, then walk the Port Hills one last time. Close the week with a toast in the craft beer bars.
City Stories and a Farewell Toast
Quake Memorial and Cathedral Square Walk
Walk past the 185 Empty White Chairs memorial, the Cardboard Cathedral and the Cathedral Square area. Each shows a different side of the city's recovery.
Tūranga Library and Coffee
Explore Tūranga, the striking central library, and then have coffee at a nearby specialty roaster.
Lunch at Little High Eatery
Revisit the High Street food hall for another round of local stalls.
Rapaki Track Port Hills Walk
Drive about 15 minutes to the Rapaki Track for a steady climb with panoramic views over the city, the harbour and the Alps. Allow about 2 hours return.
Farewell Craft Beer and Bar Crawl
Finish at Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn for a craft beer, then continue to the bars around The Terrace for a last night with the group.