Our Kaupapa

The story of Waka on Avon

Our kaupapa is simple: bring the Ōtākaro Avon back to its original purpose. For many, many years, no waka touched these waters. Waka on Avon exists to change that - restoring the river as a place of movement, connection and story, just as it was for Ngāi Tahu long before the city grew up around it.

Today, that same stretch of river carries visitors through two histories at once: the deep, ongoing story of Ngāi Tahu and the Ōtākaro, and the shared, tangled history of early European settlement that shaped Ōtautahi Christchurch into what it is now. Whether paddling the Manaaki or Kaitiaki experience, or walking the Te Ara guided route along the bank, guests don't just see the city - you'll hear it, through the stories of the people who have called this river home for generations.

We're a small crew doing something quietly significant, one paddle stroke and one guest at a time. Our mahi has recently been recognised with finalist placings in both the Toroa ā-uta, Toroa ā-tai Māori and the Innovation categories at the 2026 Tourism New Zealand Awards.