Akaroa & The Bays

A Peninsula landmark. Enjoy delicious food and coffee in a peaceful sculpture garden. Fantastic giftshop with quality, unique and original New Zealand art. We have regular exhibitions in our Gallery exhibiting contemporary NZ sculpture, painting and jewellery. Check out our web site for our present and up and coming exhibitions. Live viewing of our art on our web site.

The Akaroa Community Arts Council is a dynamic group of Peninsula volunteers who promote and encourage creativity in the communities of Akaroa and the Bays.

We aim to enable and provide subsidised opportunities for participation in arts activities across a wide range of disciplines. We do this through workshops, classes, creative events and local art exhibitions.

Please contact us if you would like to be included on our mailing list of upcoming events or join our membership.

Click here to the website. 

Akaroa has FIVE of the most important historic sites in New Zealand, with a "narrative more important than Waitangi". 

You will not find these sites in any guide book, nor on any other tour. The only way to understand these incredible stories is to travel with a seventh generation local, Marie Haley. 

Marie is the #1 expert local guide, historian, ecologist and natural born storyteller. 

The Seventh Generation Reviews are all 5⭐️ : "World Class Tour", "Best Tour Ever, Anywhere", “Best Tour of Our Entire Trip”. “Remarkable”….

Incredibly Insightful Tour

“We had an incredible tour with Marie. She was very knowledgeable of Akaroa and Maori history and she provided unique insights to the land that you can't get on any other tour. I can't recommend this highly enough, this tour is a must-do in Akaroa!!!”

Contact Marie directly on www.theseventhgeneration.org

Schools, Universities and Groups Tour

Flexible Duration | 25% OFF Group Bookings PROMO: LEARN25

Group tours uncover New Zealand’s history, nature and unique ecology. We can tailor trips to your needs and fit the NZ School Curriculum. Learn about some of the most important historical events by visiting and learning about the Brig Elizabeth Te Rauparaha massacre, Onuku Marae, Treaty of Waitangi, and Britomart Monument. Learn first-hand from a French descendant about the race-for-Akaroa and learn about the nature conservation projects and inspiring future of hope that Banks Peninsula has, directly from a conservation ecologist with decades of experience. Learn about the history and nature of New Zealand in an engaging way, so that you leave with more knowledge, a deeper sense and understanding of New Zealand and hope for the future.

Book Tour

To view all Seventh Generation tour options click here.

The Akaroa Civic Trust has developed a database of all the historic buildings and sites in the Akaroa historic area. If you would like to find the location of the cottage that used to be in your family way back or find the name of the person that build your family bach, the database is a great place to start. The database is fully searchable from the Akaroa Civic Trust website.

Visit the Museum at the heart of historic Okains Bay, just over the hill from Akaroa.

Enjoy the relaxed environment and open spaces as you learn about life on Banks Peninsula in former times. Significant taonga Māori and early Pākehā items are among the exciting range of treasures on display in the museum’s diverse complex of heritage buildings. 

Winter Hours: 1 May 2024 - 27 October 2024

Saturday & Sunday

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Following a programme of earthquake strengthening and repair, Akaroa Museum has created three new long term exhibitions about the history of Bank Peninsula: Ngā Taenga mai Arrivals, Land & Sea, and Tales of Banks Peninsula. These have been produced in collaboration with Ōnuku rūnanga and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Open:
The Museum is open 7 days a week. 10.30am until 4pm. Entrance is FREE. 

The Akaroa Library offers free membership for ratepayers and residents. Visitors welcome. Free wifi, email and internet access. Hours  10.00 - 4.30  Weekdays,  10.00 - 1.00 Saturdays. Akaroa Library is a joint use school and community library and is part of the Christchurch City Libraries network. Visitors in the library are welcome to browse the Christchurch City Libraries online databases. Printing/photocopying/scanning/laminating and book sales are also available. Skinny Jump ( https://www.skinny.co.nz/jump/about/ ) we can sign them up and give them the modem straightaway.

Web page HERE.

Church services in Akaroa

Akaroa has Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian Churches

St Peter’s Anglican, Rue Balguerie  1st and 3rd Sundays 10.00am

Trinity Presbyterian, Rue Lavaud 2nd and 4th Sundays 10.00am

For more details visit   akaroachurches.co.nz

St Patrick’s Catholic Church, 29 Rue Lavaud, Mass every Sunday at 9.30am

For more details visit   https://www.akaroacatholicparish.co.nz/mass-times/

The Akaroa Art Gallery comes to life in the warmer months when Akaroa is full of visitors and holiday-makers. The gallery hosts exhibitions featuring the work of artists from Banks Peninsula and beyond, many of whom enjoy national and international recognition. It also provides a wonderful venue for intimate musical events and varied workshops throughout the year.

Ethels Cinema, Café and Bar is Akaroa’s twin screen movie experience featuring the latest blockbuster, foreign and arthouse films. Each cinema features plush seating with a table for your snacks, coffee or glass of wine. As well as the latest movies, Ethels offers delicious dine-in and takeaway handcrafted hot and cold food including daily baked savoury and sweet treats.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Ethels is the place to be for Akaroa's best Italian Pizza, fresh salads, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

The fully licenced bar offers boutique wines, craft beer, Vivace Espresso, t leaf T, milkshakes, ice creams, popcorn, Karma sodas and organic juices. You can dine in Ethels garden patio or settle inside for a relaxing meal.

Ethels is available for corporate events, private screenings, group bookings, Christmas functions, adult and children's birthday parties. Our in-house chef would love to cater your next function and can provide tasty finger food or a tailored sit-down dinner menu.

For the latest screening times and to book tickets online visit the Ethels website, call into the cinema or call the ticket office on 03 304 7777. We’re here to make your experience a memorable one, it's Your Place...so pop in soon.