Kaikoura, a (smallish) iconic coastal town on the South Island of New Zealand has this crazy beautiful thing, where the mountains meet the sea. Once mainly famous for its abundant sealife, it sadly hit the headlines a few years back when it was rocked by 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Now in the process of rebuilding, it’s time for everyone to get back to the town to check it out. Here’s why you should go, and what we did in the 48 hours we were there. There’s also a reason there’s more pics than words in this post. They speak for themselves.
Climb a hill and admire the beauty
You have a couple of options here and despite the Kaikoura Ranges right behind the town, you don’t have to climb an actual mountain to get the views. Two of the best spots are from the Peninsula Walkway (by the seal colony) or up at the reservoir. The Peninsula Walkway is probably your best bet as it’s a short, signposted walk up from the carpark, opening up to expansive views both up and down the coast.
We were lucky enough to be staying with friends who own a farm that gets some pretty sensational views looking back on the town and back towards the Range.
If you get more adventurous, Mt Fyffe could be an option for spectacular views, but check out the DOC website before attempting.
Get a haircut
You really need to take the time to wander through the main street while you’re here. There’s not loads of shops, but they’ll keep you occupied for at least half an hour. And, if you’ve been travelling for awhile and your hair needs some love, a great new barber has opened in town. By the Blade barbershop is in the new container mall and is worth checking out. Yep, it might be a mate who’s the barber, but he comes recommended by Mike.
Eat Crayfish
In August (2018) Lonely Planet named eating Crayfish in Kaikoura as the 7th top food experience in the world. Yes, in the world. So, we had to do it. Crayfish (lobster) just seems to be more abundant here than anywhere else, so there’s more than a few places you can get your hands on it. And just to prove it, the legend goes that one of the first Maori to arrive here found an abundance of crayfish and called the place ‘Te Ahi Kaikoura a Tama ki Te Rangi’ – the fire that cooked the crayfish of Tama ki Ti Rangi.
Lonely Planet had mentioned Nin’s Bin as one of the top places to buy your crayfish so we went to check it out. That and because the caravan on the side of State Highway 1, about 30 mins outside of Kaikoura, is just so darn likeable. But, before you visit, do what we didn’t and check their facebook page or google. Due to quota (licensing) limits, Nins was shut until further notice (probably until November 2018), crushing all our hopes and dreams.
But not to worry, it’s not the only crayfish caravan in this part of the world. To get our fix, the next day we headed towards the seal colony (on the other side of town). Stopped off at the The Kaikoura Seafood BBQ You choose a piece of the cray you want, they cook the meat and you get to eat. Despite eating some of the more expensive seafood you could get your hands on, it’s not fine dining here. Instead, you’ll be eating off paper plates on the side of the road. And, it will be great.
Check out the wildlife
While you’re here you’ll definitely see seals and depending on how much you want to spend, maybe dolphins or whales. Seals can be found all over the coast, but if you want to get up a bit closer to one of these beasts, the Peninsula Seal Colony is your best bet. While there will be a few hanging out on the rocks, it’s not unusual for them to take over the carpark, the grass or the boardwalks. They let you get pretty close, just don’t hound the things. Oh, and they smell.
While we didn’t head out on a boat, Kaikoura Encounter for dolphins, or Whale Watch, for not suprisingly, whales, are probably your best bet. You’ll pay $180 to swim with the dolphins, or $95 for the trip out to just watch them, or $150 for a whale watching tour. These guys reckon they have a 95% success rate, which is good – as you get 80% refund if you don’t see any.
Eat hot chips (and probably fish)
Fish and Chips is a must and Coopers Catch on the main street of town, does the best hot chips I’ve had in a long while. We had them twice, they were that good. While we didn’t eat them on the beach, you probably should for an authentic experience. It’s a kiwi thing.
Have a beverage at the Pier Hotel
Everyone needs a wine (or beer) at the end of a weekend of sight-seeing. The Pier Hotel, is probably the best place to have one, especially on a sunny day. Grab a drink, cross the road (the quietest of all roads) and sit on the wooden tables overlooking the water. It’s the perfect place to chill, chat and admire the view.
After checking out Kaikoura, we travelled the hour and a half to Hanmer Springs, for 24 hours in a cooler clime. Here’s the lowdown on Hanmer.