2 hours · Guided
Two Hour Nature Tour
The colony, the nest boxes and the trapping story.
| Adult | NZ$110.48 |
|---|
Editorial spotlight · Flea Bay, Banks Peninsula
2026 Southern Cross Awards nomineeBest Penguin Experience
Pōhatu Penguins
A bay reachable only by a farm 4WD track over the crater rim, a family who have worked it since the early 1970s, and the largest colony of white-flippered little penguins left on the New Zealand mainland. Thirty years of trapping built this. You visit a conservation project that happens to run tours, not the other way round.
- Two-hour nature tour
- NZ$110.48
- Evening penguin tour
- NZ$131.52
- Tripadvisor
- 4.9
- Reviews
- 974
Editorial spotlight. Pōhatu Penguins is a nominee in the 2026 Southern Cross Awards. They did not pay for this page and had no say in it. We earn a commission when you book through the links here; your price is the same.
The operation
A farm, a trapline, and a penguin that lives almost nowhere else
The white-flippered kōrorā is a subspecies of little penguin found almost entirely around Banks Peninsula, and Pōhatu — Flea Bay — holds the largest mainland colony of them in Australasia. Francis and Shireen Helps farm the bay and have run predator control here for more than thirty years, with around forty per cent of the property under covenant and a charitable trust, Kōrorā Kaitiakitanga, carrying the work.
Getting there is part of it: the bay sits behind the crater rim above Akaroa and the tours run in by 4WD over the farm track. Alongside the penguin tours there is sea kayaking under the cliffs, a half-day scenic nature safari, and accommodation in the bay for people walking the Banks Track. The operation is Qualmark Gold, DOC-approved and certified by Sustainable Tourism Aotearoa.
“The largest colony of white-flippered penguins on the New Zealand mainland.”
- V
Guide
Vila
- G
Guide
Geraldine
- M
Guide
Mona
- B
Guide
Becky
Guides named repeatedly by reviewers. The bay is farmed by Francis and Shireen Helps. The operation has not yet confirmed which names and roles it wants printed.
The one to book
Two Hour Nature Tour
Two hours in the bay with a guide who does the trapping: nest boxes, the colony, the cliffs and the conservation story that explains why there are still penguins here at all. The cheapest way in, and the one most visitors take.
If you want penguins coming ashore rather than penguins in boxes, the evening tour at NZ$131.52 is the one — but read the note below about what is and is not promised.
| Adult | NZ$110.48 |
|---|---|
| Evening penguin tour | NZ$131.52 |
| Half-day safari | NZ$168.35 |
Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Check AvailabilityThe colony
Why the penguins are still here
Per the operation and the Department of Conservation.
White-flippered kōrorā
- Range
- Almost only Banks Peninsula
- Pōhatu
- Largest mainland colony
Predator control
- Running
- 30+ years
- Carried by
- Kōrorā Kaitiakitanga trust
The land
- Farmed since
- Early 1970s
- Protected
- About 40% covenanted
Book it
Tours and kayaking
Adult rates unless stated. Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Evening · Guided
Evening Penguin Tour
The hour penguins come ashore, in breeding season.
| Adult | NZ$131.52 |
|---|
Half day · 4WD
Full Scenic Nature Safari
The long version over the farm and down to the bay.
| Adult | NZ$168.35 |
|---|
Half day · Kayak
Self Drive Sea-Kayaking Safari
Drive yourself in, paddle the bay and the cliffs.
| Adult | NZ$110.48 |
|---|
Morning · Kayak
Early Bird Scenic Kayak Safari
First light on the water under the headlands.
| Adult | NZ$152.57 |
|---|
Half day · 4WD + kayak
4WD Scenic Sea-Kayaking Safari
Transport over the rim and a paddle at the bottom.
| 4 or more, each | NZ$147.30 |
|---|
A hike-and-kayak combination and sea kayaking for Banks Track walkers are also listed, along with accommodation in the bay. The Pōhatu Package bundles a tour with kayaking for groups of four or more.
Before you go
Know before you go
Penguins are wild
The most common criticism in reviews is that the birds were distant or had not come ashore during the tour window. The operation says plainly that sightings are not guaranteed and that tours leave before dark in breeding season to limit disturbance. Both of those are the right call and both can leave you without a close view.
Getting in
The bay is behind the crater rim from Akaroa, down a farm 4WD track. Take the transport unless you know the road.
What you are paying for
Thirty years of predator control, roughly forty per cent of the property covenanted, and a charitable trust. The tour funds the trapline.
Accreditation
Qualmark Gold, DOC-approved, certified by Sustainable Tourism Aotearoa.
Reviews
What guests say
- 4.9Tripadvisor974 reviews as of October 2, 2026
- #5of 26Tours and activities in Akaroa
- 30+YearsOf predator control
Reviewers consistently describe the guides as genuine conservationists rather than tour staff, and rate the knowledge, the remote bay and the educational value above the wildlife tally itself. The one recurring complaint is that penguins can be far off or absent during the visit — the operation replies that sightings are never promised and that tours leave before dark in breeding season.
Questions
Good to know
Where is it?
Pōhatu, Flea Bay, over the crater rim from Akaroa on Banks Peninsula.
What does it cost?
NZ$110.48 per adult for the two-hour nature tour, NZ$131.52 for the evening penguin tour. Checked October 2, 2026.
Will I definitely see penguins?
No. They are wild and the operation does not promise it. Evening tours give the best chance, and they still leave before dark in breeding season.
What makes this colony special?
It is the largest mainland colony of white-flippered little penguins in Australasia, a subspecies found almost only around Banks Peninsula.
A trapline that funds itself with tours
Two hours in the bay from NZ$110.48, or the evening the penguins come ashore for NZ$131.52.
Check Availability