Day Trips

The Arena Motel is handily situated for day trips whether it's on the scenic Tranzalpine and Tranzcoastal trains or driving to nearby Akaroa or Hanmer Springs. The road to Akaroa is about 500m from the motel while it's an easy drive from the motel to the main north road heading to Hanmer Springs and/or Kaikoura.

Banks Peninsula was formed following the violent eruptions of two volcanoes. A crater nurses the picturesque harbour of Akaroa with many smaller bays indenting the spectacular coastline. It is the only site in New Zealand of French settlement and it still retains its old French charm, many streets have French names, and there are descendants of the original French families still living in Akaroa. There are boutique shops and fine restaurants along rue Lavaud, rue Jolie and the waterfront. Activities such as swimming with Hectors dolphins, horse trekking, paragliding, harbour and sea kayaking and jet skiing all keep the active tourist occupied. Akaroa is also the birthplace of Frank Worsley, Captain of the Endurance and Navigator to Ernest Shackleton on his Trans Antarctic expedition. See it all with the Akaroa French Connection scenic day tour, and get picked up from the motel.

To the north of Christchurch is the Waipara wine region, where you can enjoy wine tasting and gourmet meals at one of several vineyard restaurants.

Further inland you will find the alpine thermal resort of Hanmer Springs, where you can relax in hot pools, enjoy spa facilities or more active pursuits such as mountain-biking and forest walks, and Thrillseekers Canyon, the towns adrenalin centre for bungy jumping, canyoning, tandem paragliding, jet-boating and whitewater rafting.

Further north still is the town of Kaikoura and its world-class whale watching facilities. Kaikoura offers close encounters with the sperm whale, Hectors dolphin (the smallest and rarest dolphin), the dusky dolphin (found only in the southern hemisphere), the NZ fur seal and the bottlenose dolphin. Other animals and birds frequently seen include the orca (killer whale), common dolphins, pilot whales, blue penguins and the royal and wandering albatross. Kaikoura has a number of dive centres and fishing charters for the more active marine nut.