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Kaikoura is a coastal tourist town, situated half way between Picton and Christchurch, on the East Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. Kaikoura the town, is located on the northern side of the Kaikoura Peninsula. The Kaikoura Ranges are at the northern-most end of the ranges which make up the Southern Alps. The Hikurangi Trench is a deep sea trough, running parallel to the East Coast of New Zealand, about 30 kms east of the Kaikoura Peninsula.

900 years ago, Maori "Moa" hunting parties were the first people to discover this area. As the Maori name for Kaikoura "eating crayfish" indicates, the abundance of food sources in the ocean and forests nearby attracted the Ngai Tahu Maori Tribe to this area.
Also Maori legend states that the Mythical "Maui" put his right foot on the Kaikoura peninsula, as he hauled up the North Island.

European settlement of Kaikoura began in 1842, when Scotsman Robert Fyfe established a whaling station here. Fyfe House, which still stands today, was where the whalers would drag the dead whales, to hack them up and melt down their blubber.

Kaikoura Canyon, part of the Hikurangi trench is a gigantic deep sea world with large populations of “megafauna”. Pilot, Sperm, Killer, and Southern Right Whales, along with 11 other cetacean species, huge sharks and mysterious Giant Squids populate the canyon. These massive creatures are the ultimate consumers in a food chain, whose primary producers are plankton and other tiny bits of nutrients. Cold and warm currents meet off the Kaikoura Peninsula, creating an upwelling carrying these nutrients to the surface. In the middle and upper waters are other consumers, such as food fishes, seals, dolphin, albatrosses, pectrels and many other seabirds species.

There are plenty of activities in Kaikoura to enjoy. You can view the abundant marine wildlife with most of the local tour operators, Whale Watch is owned and operated by local Maori and is renowned as the best way to view these mighty creatures in their natural habitat. You can also swim with the local dolphins, view a colony of Southern Fur Seals and albatrosses at the eastern edge of the town. Try your hand at fishing with one of our recomended fishing tours, who will share a BBQ with you at the end of the day over a couple of beers and a feed of fish.

Kaikoura is a popular surfing destination, with quality breaks up and down the coast. Kaikoura's surf options are an assortment of reefs, left and right-hand point breaks and numerous beach breaks that work in all kinds of swell. A couple of national compititions are held here every year. Their is a local surf school and all of New Zealand's surf tour operators frequent the delectable waves in the region of Kaikoura.

A nice walk is the Mt Fyffe track, which winds up Mt Fyffe, and gives a panoramic view of the Kaikoura peninsula at the summit. Horse treks are a popular way to see this remarkable area, as is mountain biking and four wheel drive tours.

There is a modest range of Kaikoura accommodation options to cater for all tastes and budgets, from camping grounds and backpackers to Boutique Lodges, appartments, cottages, motels, hotels, homestays, farmstays, B&Bs.....

In Kaiboura it can get very busy in the high season. For your peace of mind, we offer the option to check and pre-book your accommodation and activities on the links provided on this site. Enjoy your stay in Kaikoura, our Whale Watching Capital of New Zealand.