Christchurch To Akaroa Drive And Road Trip

A creative and resilient city, Christchurch is a South Island jewel that deserves a few days of your itinerary to truly get to know. With a thriving arts scene, a proud Māori culture and world-class dining, the city has a magnetic appeal. While you’re here, orient yourself with a tour on the heritage sightseeing tram that departs from Cathedral Square.

Sights in Christchurch

Christchurch Botanic Gardens
An easy walk from the CBD, allocate a couple of hours in your day to wander the Botanic Gardens. On the banks of the Ōtākaro Avon River, the garden is a city sanctuary of green that rambles for 21 hectares and through 10 elegantly maintained gardens, including a heritage rose garden and a native New Zealand garden. The gardens are free and open daily.

Christchurch Riverside Market
With eateries, bakeries and bars, the Riverside Market will satisfy all occasions and culinary penchants. Head along for a morning coffee and pastry or for an evening aperitivo in this lively precinct that serves as a meeting point in the city. On every second Thursday, head along to the Riverside live music night.

Just under an hour from the city, you’ll arrive at Birdlings Flat, a Canterbury settlement on tucked into the southern corner of the Banks Peninsula at the eastern end of Kaitorete Spit. This extraordinary spot lures fossickers and treasure hunters to its unusually stony shore that can harbour semi-precious gemstones.

Sights in Birdlings Flat

Gemstone hunting on Birdlings Flat beach
You can’t swim at this rough and ready beach where the full-force of the ocean swirls with menacing currents. This wild temper is both awe-inspiring and beautiful, but also remarkably habitually deposits gemstones to the shore. There’s no sand here, instead, you’ll find ocean-smoothed pebbles, and sometimes, among these grey stones are agates, jasper, chalcedony, carnelian, sardonyx, quartzite, rhodonite, and petrified wood. So keep an eye out on your beach walk.

Birdling Flat Gemstone and Fossil Museum
Even if you weren’t lucky enough to pocket a gem on your beach walk, you can still take a look at the precious rocks that wash up on the shore with a visit to the Gemstone and Fossil Museum. This private collection has been amassed over 50 years from the Birdling Flat beach and includes fossils and gemstones.

A 10-minute-or-so drive from Birdling Flat is Little River. A bucolic beauty of farmlands, wetlands and forested trails, this is your cue to put the kettle on while you lace up your hiking boots for a stretch of the legs in these pristine surrounds.

Sights in Little River

Little River Gallery
While you’re pausing in Little River, be sure to pop into the Little River Gallery. This destination gallery is a popular stop for Christchurch mini-breakers and hangs works from established and emerging New Zealand artists. If you’re not in the market for a painting or sculpture, there’s also a selection of books, gifts and homewares.

Little River Rail Trail
This walkway and cycleway actually begins way back in Christchurch, following the Little River Branch railway line, which operated from 1875 until 1967. Little River is the end of the line, but you can still wander a stretch of this final section to take in the volcanic beauty of the Banks Peninsula.

Little River Café and Store
If it’s high-time you caffeinated, swing into the Little River Café and Store for great coffee and delicious homemade meals. This family-run eatery has become a halfway landmark on the trip between the city and Akaroa, so pull in to fuel up.

Set on Barrys Bay you’ll find the eponymous petite settlement that is largely known for its excellent cheese, but here the tidal mud flats attract birdlife, making it a good place for birders to pull out their binoculars to spot terns and black swans. Before you wind down to Barrys Bay, essential viewing to take in the expansive Akaroa views be found at Hilltop.

Sights in Hilltop and Barrys Bay

Hilltop Tavern lookout over Akaroa Harbour
While the establishment at Hilltop is now a private event venue, you can still pull in to ogle the breathtaking view from this lofty vantage point. Below is Akaroa Harbour hemmed by the rolling landscapes the region is loved for and with the distinctive shape of Onawe Peninsula rising from the water. Take a selfie and then make your way down for cheese.

Barrys Bay Cheese
Handcrafted cheese has been made here since 1895, when the Banks Peninsula was dotted with family dairies. Eventually, there was just one man standing, Barrys Bay Traditional Cheese, which continued to make their cheddar and other varieties in the traditional manner using only fresh, local milk.

Skirt around the edge of the bay for another 12 kilometres to reach your final destination of Akaroa. Shaped by the original French settlement, this pretty town on the Banks Peninsula is loved by Christchurch city-dwellers as a weekend escape. Here there are plenty of restaurants and cafes to flit between, but you can’t leave without ticking off a few must-see spots.

Sights in Akaroa

Akaroa Harbour dolphin cruise
The largest population of the endangered Hector’s dolphins can be found in Akaroa Harbour and the best way to meet and greet these magnificent marine mammals is on a boat cruise. Along the way, you’ll also have the chance to spot fur seals and white-flippered penguins. Some operators even take you into the clear waters to swim alongside the dolphins – an experience no animal lover can pass up.

The Giant’s House
A whimsical interlude in your Akaroa road trip, the Giant’s House is a garden full of curious sculptures and mosaics overlooking rolling green hills and gem-like waters. Blossoming through the year with roses and citrus, it’s a pretty spot for a break. In summer, an onsite café serves lunch and afternoon tea in the conservatory.

Akaroa Museum
Taking visitors on a journey into the social and cultural history of the Banks Peninsula through art, photographs and textiles, the Akaroa Museum sprawls across four exhibition galleries and three heritage buildings and is open seven days a week.

Before you make a beeline back to Christchurch, take a scenic detour that loops the Banks Peninsula. From Akaroa, head out of town on Long Bay Road, before joining the Summit Road. Stay on Summit Road, passing Wright Lookout and Susann Lookout, before taking Okains Bay Road to Duvauchelle to rejoin State Highway 75 back to Christchurch. While this road is sealed, it’s narrow and steep in parts, so take care navigating the turns.

Explore other popular road trips around Christchurch

This Christchurch to Akaroa road trip is just the beginning of your south Island adventure. There are plenty of incredible journeys to be had when you pick up your campervan from Christchurch. Check out these other must-drive experiences:

• Christchurch to Dunedin
• Christchurch to Marlborough
• Christchurch to Lake Tekapo
• Christchurch to Nelson
• Christchurch to Wanaka

Get the cheapest rates on campervan hire in Christchurch

With free unlimited kilometres on every hire, you’re off to a good start when you hire your campervan with Travellers Autobarn. Hire your vehicle from Christchurch and you’ll have your accommodation and transport sorted, making for a budget-friendly South Island escape.

We’re confident that you’ll have a blast freedom camping around the South Island. But, before you head out, there are some details you need to know about responsible freedom camping in New Zealand:

• Amenities at freedom camping areas are usually limited, so while some might have access to bathrooms and running water, others may not
• Most freedom campsites don’t operate on a booking system; instead, they follow a first-come, first-served basis. So, try to get to sites early so you can get the best spot

Department of Conservation (DOC) campgrounds are generally the most affordable sites to stay at, apart from freedom camping, offering over 150 campgrounds in New Zealand. Some of them operate on a booking system, while others use a first-come, first-served basis. If you have a DOC Campsite Pass, you can get access to parks year-round

DISCLAIMER: All information provided, including prices, availability, and site details, is correct when published. We recommend contacting campsites or caravan parks directly to confirm the latest details before planning your visit. Please review our Terms and Conditions for additional information.