Kaikoura

Up until the middle 1970's, Kaikoura was mainly a fishing village, the peninsula offering protection from the strong winds on the coast. Ngai Tahu, the local Maori tribe,  made use of the proximity of the whales off the coast and began whale watching trips to view them up close. This developed quickly into a large business which is responsible for the boom in the town with shops, restaurants, motels being established to cater for the tourists.  A popular food delicacy from the sea is crayfish ( lobster) and this is reflected in the name of the town: kai=food, koura = crayfish

The mainstay of the Kaikoura economy is the whale watching. This takes place all year and as many as four boats operate several trips a day often depending on the weather. Sometimes the conditions are too rough to allow for comfortable viewing and the trips are cancelled but usually this is not for very long. Enquire at the whaleway station (railway station) where you can book. The trips leave from this station.
	The photo on the left shows the Kaikoura peninsula, with the town of Kaikoura tucked away on its northern (right) side where the peninsula is at its narrowest. South Bay, where the whalewatch and most of the other boat tours leave from is in the bay on the left side as you view the photograph.  The limestone rock in this area has been twisted excessively under the earth's pressure and it makes for fascinating observation and allows excellent camera shots. The seal colony is closest to the camera on the right hand side. You can get close to the seals (but dont get too close!) and they are largely unafffected by your presence.
The Kaikoura lowland is an area of rocky but fertile soils which are surrounded by the mountains of the Seaward Kaikouras. They form a contraposed coast on either side of the lowlands and this makes road and rail construction quite difficult with the mountains coming right down to the sea.  The sea itself of course is an excellent  area for lobster fishing and there are many paua ( abalone) shells on the rocky beaches. Note the seal perched on a rock in the photo on the right.
	The northfacing perspective of the town allows shelter from the cooler southerly winds. The view towards the Seaward Kaikouas is impressive and the snow is on the mountains ( but seldom on the lowlands) for about six months of the year. When the NW winds blow, the area is warm and dry. In a southerly it tends to be cool and often wet. The temperature fluctuates in Kaikoura more than most places which are as close to the sea.
Along the narrow and rocky coast, some locals have developed small gardens between the rocks. One such garden exists on the southern side of Kaikoura at Oaro, about twenty kms away.  Feel free to stop there and have a walk around. Look over at the sealife which is also just a stones throw away.
	Some 25kms north of Kaikoura is the small settlement of Kekerengu. On the beachfront there is 'the Store' previously a building  functioning as the name suggests, but now a cafe and restaurant. Over the last few years, this place has been awarded the 'Best Restaurant' award for the Marlboorough District. It has a great view to the sea and the beach is well worth a walk.
From Kaikoura, it is possible to take a tour which will allow you to swm with the dolphins. If you would rather, you can simply stay on the boat and appreciate these graceful mammals from the comfort of the cabin.
	There are many seabirds in the area and a trip in a boat with a qualified person will result in you seeing a great variety of birds including usually an albatross or two.