ABOUT KAIKOURA
A chance to get close to whales and dolphins. seals and albatrosses on a sparkling azure bay.
The small town of Kaikoura sits on the spectacular northeast coast, in the shadow of the snow-capped Kaikoura mountains. South, a sea trough extends unusually close to the coastline, creating an upsurge of nutritious plankton soup and attracting an extraordinary variety of ocean inhabitants.
Modern Kaikoura was established as a whaling station in the early 19th century. Station manager George Fyffe built Kaikoura's oldest rernaining house (Fyffe House) near the Old Wharf in 1860, and gave his name to the mountain immediately behind the township. The whaling industry was replaced by fishing, particularly for crayfish. Today Kaikoura's wildlife is hunted only by the camera, and the resident and migratory whales are the big draw.
Motueka is set among sunbathed hop farms and orchards and within a short distance of several beautiful beaches. Many visitors pass through en route to the Abel Tasman National Park and Golden Bay, making this a bustling resort in summer and a sleepy service town in winter. The best beaches near Motueka (and before the national park) are in Kaiteriteri. For a [ocal short walk try the Motueka Quay, reached via the waterfront west of downtown. Motueka has a small museum (Dec-Apr, daily 9-4; May-Nov, Tue-Fri 9-3.30).
The route between Motueka and Richmond (SH60), known as Nelson's Coastal Way, is the place to go for arts and crafts and wineries, plus the Touch the Sea Aquarium (daily 9-5) and the Cool Store art gallery next door.
WATER-BASED ACTlVITIES
The sea around Kaikoura abounds with dolphins, from the common and bottlenose to the smaller, rare Hector's dolphin. You are most likely to encounter or swim with dusky dolphins; pods running into the hundreds, if not the thousands, are common.
Kaikoura is home to its own pod of sperm whales. Whale-watching boats set out from the Whaleway Station off Beach Road, offering a chance to spot dolphins, seals and other wildlife. Other whale species that appear regularly include humpbacks, rights and orcas, and if you are exceptionally lucky you may see an enormous blue whale.
LAND-BASED SIGHTS
Clifftop and shoreline walkways link the northern and southern settlements of Kaikoura, and cross the head of the Kaikoura Peninsula. A good spot to get an overall impression of the town, the peninsula and its mountain backdrop is the lookout just off Scarborough Terrace (off SHI between the northern and southern settlements).
There are three historical venues of note: the Kaikoura District Museurn, at 14 Ludstone Road (Mon-Fri 12.30-4.30, Sat-Sun 2-4), offering an insight into early Maori and whaling activities; Fyffe House, on Avoca Street near the Old Wharf (guided tours daily 10-4); and the Maori Leap Cave, 2km (1 mile) south of Kaikoura, a sea-formed limestone cave, discovered only in the 21st century (daily tours).
