Seal Coast Safari - Exclusive Access To Wellington's Secret Coast

An absolute hidden gem and one of the best-kept secrets in Wellington! This experience was a wonderful change from the usual crowded tourist attractions. It felt like having our own private beach, with seals lounging everywhere and not another person in sight. We didn’t even encounter another vehicle for over two hours! The private access road takes you down to a beautiful, secluded beach, with spectacular scenery and amazing views along Turbine Road. The drive down is an adventure in itself, with narrow, steep and winding sections. Our guide and driver, Graham, was extremely cautious and professional, making us feel completely safe throughout the journey. Graham was also full of interesting information about the area and its history. To top it all off, he provided coffee and snacks on the beach, making the experience even more enjoyable. If you’re looking for something different, away from the crowds, with incredible scenery and plenty of seals, this is the experience for you. Highly recommended! Don’t miss this one when visiting Wellington.

This was one of the most magical experiences!!! Having the opportunity to travel through private land, rolling hills and mountains that land you in the most epic beach to see seals was goosebump inducing!!! We cannot recommend this tour enough!!! It is special, book it!!!

Very nice trip! Beautiful views and Chis was a great guide!

A fun and educational experience. Our guide Chris, does a great job using humor and teaching a lot about the area. Two highlights of the trip: Otari - Wilton’s Bush which is a public botanical garden dedicated to native plants. Driving through thousands of acres of mountainous pasture land with sheep and cows that wind to the ocean where we saw many seals. Our guide Chris was fantastic. Knowledgable and funny too! Well worth a half of day!

Truly one of a kind. The tour was amazing with beautiful views. The tour guide did an amazing job along tour talking about the farm land, the animals and the lands history.

Amazing! Start to finish. Fantastic skilled driver, friendly, informative. What a spectacular experience Thankyou!

I absolutely enjoyed this trip. Our guide Marc was very passionate about New Zealand’s flora and fauna and told lots of interesting facts. The way to the seal colony was very picturesque and seeing young lambs, calves and wild goats was a nice addition to an overall experience. We saw plenty of resting seals and had enough time to enjoy the company of these majestic animals. This trip surpassed my expectations.

We were prepared for what we were sure was going to be a miserable day as we reach Wellington amidst pouring rain and gusty winds. But thankfully we stayed the course and Graham picked us up for what will be an unforgettable tour. Graham was fantastic and he definitely earned respect for handling the drive through some brutal weather to get us out to the coast. The scenery though was surreal as the rain and fog made the slow drive through the immense wind turbines/rugged farmland a drive through a Salvador Dali exhibit. Graham navigated us down to the coast but the winds were freezing the slowing rain to the windshield. Graham was awesome and had some coffee and tea available. We sat a few moments chatting then finally the storm broke and we were awarded a view of the fur seals. What we thought was one or two ended up being a dozen plus. But the sight that mesmerized us was the sheer power of the surf raging against the rocky shoreline. That fury will be a memory that lasts forever. With our viewing complete Graham headed us back to town for a misty walkthrough the Otari-Wilton's Bush. Graham - thanks for sticking with us and safely getting us through that storm! We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and you will too though you may have to time it right, and pay Graham a bit extra 😊, if you want to see version we were privileged to see!

Amazing trip on to farm and being able to get up close to the wildlife and able to get amazing photos

Our tour guide was very informative, the views were so surreal. We had a good day with probably 100 seals on shore. Im sure that's not every day thing but we were very fortunate. It was amazing and a great outing. Would do it 10x over.

This trip was informative and very interesting. Seeing seals in their natural habitat was a privilege. We had a short walk through bush prior to the seals and our guide was very knowledgeable and informative

Seal coast Safari was an amazing trip! Amazing plants and trees at the Ontario-Wilton’s Bush. Our tour guide Graham was very knowledgeable and answered our many questions. The drive through a farm up and down the switchbacks and the down down die to the coast was filled with amazing vistas. Once down in the beach we were right there with the Fur Seals. Wonderful. The wind was intense and invigorating and the sea was turbulent and powerful from the currents and high wind. Again, Graham answered our many questions about the land , the sea, the seals! We also saw an Arctic Tern and her chick as we were leaving! Wow!! We highly recommend this tour!

Our guide, Marc, was amazing. So full of contagious enthusiasm and love of the area. So much knowledge. Views were spectacular. So many seals basking and not afraid of us. Was a beautiful experience. Will recommend to family and friends.

This was a beautiful tour full of lots of wildlife. I really enjoyed getting to see the scenery and the seals. It was a perfect tour if you have a few hours open.

If you're debating doing this, stop and just do it. I had a wonderful time, learned a ton from my guide, James, and saw a part of Wellington that a lot of people never see. It's so worthwhile, and the Beach Potatoes (seals) are just adorable and chill. Just book it, you won't regret it!

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly! Tour was highlight of my trip to Wellington!

This is a truly amazing one of a kind tour because it goes thru spectacular scenery with views ( if not too cloudy) all the way to the South Island. Some parts feel like lord of the rings country plus the mountains to the sea views with dear seals resting peacefully, is a special and rare experience. My guide Chris was exceptionally friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge to share, in a fun and humorous way. A big warm Thankyou to Chris!

The trip was fantastic even though it was drizzly. Wyatt our guide was great and very knowledgeable.

Thoroughly enjoyed our morning with Andy, travelling out to the Seal Colony and spending time amongst them. The weather was drizzly and cloudy but to be honest, it added to the dramatic scenery and because you get driven right to the activity it wasn’t really a problem. We then stopped for an informative walk around the local native gardens and back to our accommodation. Great morning’s entertainment!

This is a great way to spend half a day in Wellington. The first stop is quite interesting and the drive to the coast is pretty amazing. The coastline here is so dramatic. It really was spectacular to visit. Also, the guide, Grant, was knowledgeable and friendly and made the day very pleasant.

This is one of the best tours I’ve ever taken! We covered so much beautiful terrain- from the lush forests, to viewpoints in the mountains, down to the amazing coast. Marc was absolutely incredible and clearly is passionate about his job. I took several tours while in Wellington, and this was by far my favorite. I was also impressed that they ran the tour for just me after another group canceled.

We had an absolutely amazing tour guide, Marc. Marc had great knowledge of the region and its history, the flora and fauna. Marc was very welcoming, knowledgeable and fun. We are taken on a tour of gardens, which were beautiful. We then went off road, through a private very exclusive property. We made our way down to the seals, where two oceans meet. Lots of beautiful seals and the coastline was stunning. Honestly, an amazing experience, made even better with a wonderful tour guide. This is an absolute must do.

So grateful to our guide who was friendly, passionate and knowledgeable of the environment, seals and NZ. You are taken to exclusive and spectacular areas of south Wellington Coastline, not accessible to the public. Thank you, the tour was the highlight of my Wellington trip!

if you’re keen for an experience away from touristy crowds and to see seals in their natural habitat - highly recommend this tour. not rushed, plenty of time to enjoy and some of the most amazing scenery on private land.

Plenty of driving but the transportation is awesome. Guide was very knowledgeable and informative. Natalie was great.

It was a fun filled afternoon with Andy. The drive out to the beach was quite amazing, from the hill top to the beach we enjoyed beautiful scenery. The goats were good fun to watch as we traveled out to the beach. The seals were quite enjoyable as they rested on the beach. It was a beautiful day to be out in nature!!

Tour guide was very knowledgeable and showed us alot of sights and scenes that aren't common knowledge. If you have the time, allow for 4 hours incase you go over. It's well worth it! Thanks so much for the experience, scenery and of course the lovely rock sausages.

It is TOP. Do not miss this experience. Great guide, beautiful views and a very different experience to see the seals.

Fun, informative and glorious views of the countryside. Great first stop off at Otari Wilton’s native bush, followed by a picturesque drive up through the Wind Turbines on the Terawhiti farm - keep a look out for all the animals hanging out on the mountains and in the sky - and then down to the seals ❤️ Bus is comfy but bring a jacket to keep out the cool wind for looking at the seals.

Late driver, driver was not exactly safe and the 4 wheel drive van had bald tires on the rear axle. Driver was nice and knowledgeable. Would not use this tour company again because of safety concerns of mine.

Hamish was very knowledgeable, personable, and good driver. He communicated well and made sure we saw and understood what we were seeing. He was great!

Great experience, picked up from hotel and then an easy drive to the farm (station). When entering you start realizing how large an area it is and the further you go the wind turbines start appearing, not to mention the cows and sheep in the middle of the track (very entertaining) When you start descending you start seeing the beach and the home of the fur seals. Yes, there are many of them and as you are in there habitat you must keep a safe distance! You get plenty of time to view them and we even had a coffee and biscuit, what more can you ask for? Highly recommend this trip if you want to do something different.

Excellent and well-organised tour! Andy is super and very knowledgeable! Highly recommend.

This was a really unique experience to see some of New Zealand's rural areas and coastline. We stopped at a botanical garden, which was beautiful (wish we had more time there). The drive out into the country kept getting more interesting as we entered Terawhiti Station. The roads got steeper and more treacherous (but we felt safe). The expansive views were stunning across the farmland and out to the ocean. We finally reached the ocean and spent some time observing the fur seal colony before heading back to Wellington.

Amazing day, trip, guide and destination. And the seals really sealed the deal. Highly recommended, best ting to do in the city

Our tour guide was great! He was very knowledgeable about all the fauna and flora. He had great stories about what we were seeing as well as some fun personal stories. I would recommend this tour as it’s definitely off the beaten track.

Exciting from the start and knowledgeable guide very accomodating with pick up points and with additional information and if time permits additional sites visited

Fantastic! Super comfy ride, small group, fabulous driver/ tour guide. Collected straight from port and option to drop back at ship or city! Absolutely wonderful tour of the countryside, seals in their own habitat and Otari Wilton’s Bush. Tour guide was amazing too! I highly highly recommend this tour!!!

Hamish was very knowledgeable about Wellington, so we learned quite a bit of history on the way and throughout our specific tour locations. So far, this was the best tour that we have experienced.

A beautiful day enhanced with gorgeous scenery. We visited New Zealand’s only botanical garden Otari-Wilton’s Bush, dedicated solely to native plants, travelled through Terawhiti Station, and saw sheep, cows and goats, had stunning views across the Cook Strait, Kaikoura Ranges and the South Island. Drove through Project West Wind – a 62 turbine strong wind farm that generates enough electricity to power all the houses in the Wellington region, continued our off road safari to the coast and traversed the rocky, sandy track towards Tongue Point and the colony of native New Zealand Fur Seals and wandered the beach to observe these cute creatures in their natural habitat. A great tour and tour guide!

Booked this last minute. Was fantastic. Great stops, great mix of info and stories. The road through the far is quite bumpy…. If you get car sick, take a gravol before hand— well worth it!

It was a wonderful experience. Graham our driver and guide (exceedingly friendly, professional and knowledgeable) was waiting for us in a nice four wheel drive van (held max of 11 passengers, we had ten) as we exited our cruise ship. We had amazing scenery and views along the way, a short but very pleasant walk through a nature preserve and we visited a beautiful, secluded beach, accessible via a private farm, where we enjoyed fur seals and a cup of tea. So much was packed into the 3.5 hour tour!

Great tour and guide. The gardens were serene and the windmill farm was amazing to see so close by. The seals are a fantastic site and the views are amazing!

Loved the small group excursion. Binoculars and rain gear provided. We were able to see seals and sea lions up close...great experience! There are some steps and steep inclines, so keep that in mind. Family owned and very good guide.

The trip, information, scenery and sites were amazing. It was a small intimate group of 3 of us, but our guide Natalie was so informative and gave us a top class experience. Seeing seals in their natural habitat was also stunning. Windy Wellington put on a show with spectacular weather and no clouds or wind at all. I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting private access to see male seals in their own environment.

What a wonderful experience! We got to be in a private area where only special tours can go. Our guide, WaiWai was so knowledgeable and brought us (safely) close to the seal groups. Tea and coffee on the beach was lovely too. We saw so many different animals and birds just on the drive up the mountain. I learned so much about NZ on this excursion alone. The protected forest walk was amazing as well. I need to go back on my own and spend all day there! So glad we did this tour and would suggest it to anyone visiting…make sure you ask for our guide…he was simply the best! So much fun 😊

Amazing Tour!!!!! Mary was fantastic! Highly recommend! What a special small Group tour!!

Gina was a phenomenal guide. She was kind, informative, entertaining, and incredibly accommodating. This tour was so phenomenal we would do it again the next time we visit. The views and private wildlife encounter could not be beat. Thank you for making our visit to Wellington incredibly special.

Great tour with a very knowledgeable tour guide Dixie. We had perfect weather and the tour was exactly as described. The seals were very cool to watch in there. Natural habitat.