Kaikoura

Where is it?

With the Seaward Kaikoura's range as a spectacular back drop this small town sits by a sweeping bay on a spit of land jutting from the east coast approximately 100km due south of Blenheim.

What's it like?

The Maori found the place first and used it as a base from which to speed the passing of the Moa (a bird; like an Ostrich on steroids). Europeans first settled the area in the 1840's and they used it as base from which to speed the passing of just about everything, mainly whales. The whaling station closed in 1922 but agriculture sustained the local populace until whales came into the picture once more. One of the earliest places to establish commercial whale watching, Kaikoura trades on the marriage of geology and ocean currents that bring a profusion of sea mammals to the area.

What to see and do.

Visitors to this growing town tend to be fixed on getting to see the wildlife and as such there is little else on offer. Visitors are either out on the ocean looking for whales or on shore waiting for the weather to clear so they can go and make another trip out to see the whales.
Trips are run as often as possible in search of the leviathans of the deep but be warned, boats venture out only after whales have been first spotted by plane. If the planes can't fly or visibility is poor, the boats do not go out. You may need to be patient. If you are lucky you may get to see Sperm Whales (Moby Dick was one of these, the worlds largest toothed mammal) or at the right time of year Humpback Whales as well as dolphins (Orcas and Bottlenosed), seals and penguins. It is possible to organise trips to swim with dolphins and seals or even go on a dive in a shark cage. Sea kayaking can also be booked.
If the weather is too bad for whale watching there are some decent tracks to be walked, horse trekking is on offer and you can surf on local beaches.
To pass time whilst the weather clears try the Kaikoura Museum which is OK and does provide an insight into the whaling trade. A drive into the mountains will repay your endeavour with some spectacular views; there are hiking trails here too.

Eating, Sleeping and Drinking

In Maori, the name Kaikoura means crayfish (from kai or food and koura meaning crayfish) this is a clue as to what the local delicacy is. It's crayfish, try it from the roadside, freshly caught and boiled. There are a number of seafood restaurants all serving locally caught ocean harvest. The locals' make the most of their position as an isolated - if popular - place by charging a little more than elsewhere but not alarmingly so.
Local wines are excellent and although there are not hundreds of bars to choose from, the quality is good.
There is a massive amount of accommodation in and around Kaikoura but when demand is high in the summer, you will still need to book ahead.