Leave your chique boutique hotel behind and drive to Kaikoura for the best experiences. Located at the coastal seaside, Kaikoura is a small town well known for its marine life and is the perfect base for wildlife encounters. Despite being quite small the area there has plenty of cool activities to do. It’s only a two-hour drive north from Christchurch making it a perfect day trip.

1.  Whale watching

Encountering the giants of the sea. Most people have it on their bucket list but only a few manage to catch a glimpse of the huge mammals. The best thing about Kaikoura is that you can see whales any time of the year. The town is the starting point of many boat tours setting out to look for whales, seals and other marine life.

Whale Watching in Kaikoura

2.  Swim with dolphins

The area of Kaikoura is famous for its rare but beautiful dusky dolphins. You can choose to make a boat tour hoping to spot some of these magnificent animals or you can opt to swim with them. Swimming with dolphins is a once in a lifetime experience and the Kaikoura Peninsula might be the best place to do so.

3.  Taste delicious seafood

Being on the seaside, it won’t be a surprise that Kaikoura has some of the very best seafood dishes. One of the best places is the roadside barbecue on the way to the Point Kean seal colony. They offer local seafood at cheap prices.

4.  Visit the Seal colony

While you’re on your way you can hike after the seafood barbecue to the seal colony. It’s located just outside the central area of Kaikoura and can be hiked (three hours) or reached by car. The site is free of charge to visit and is a great place to get a close view of these impressive animals. The hike is called the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway and offers views of limestone formations and seabird colonies along the way.

5.  Catch and eat crayfish

If you want a more adventurous way of tasting seafood, why not join a fishing tour? The let you fish for crayfish, one of the species the area is famous for, and afterward, you can enjoy your own catch.

6.  Bird watching tour

Whales, seals, dolphins, … plenty to see in the ocean but there are some interesting animals in the air as well. Joining a bird watching tour gives you the chance to spot seabirds, albatross, mollymawks and many more that roam the air.

7.  Visit Fyffe House

This little pink building just outside the center of Kaikoura is the last remaining whaling station in the area. It is used as a museum where you can learn more about the whales living in the waters around Kaikoura. Admission will cost you NZ$10 but gives you a view on the impressive whalebone floor as well on the life of these mammals and the history of hunting them.

Seal Colony in Kaikoura

8.  Experience Maori Culture

The native people of New Zealand are called Maori. If you want to learn more about their traditions, you can choose to join a tour in Kaikoura. Tours vary from two hours to three days offering you stories told by ancestors of Maori people and how they have adapted to life today.

9.  Scuba diving

Kaikoura is a small town on the seaside renown for its marine life. If you wish to get a closer view on this sea life, you can go on a diving trip. Scuba diving tours are one of the best ways to explore what’s beneath sea level. So get your goggles on and observe fish, coral, and wrecks.

10.  Go on a scenic flight

With the mighty albatross dominating the air as one of the many seabirds, birds get a splendid view of the coastal landscape of Kaikoura. Fortunately, we don’t have to envy them since there are flight tours available giving you the same stunning landscapes from a sensational viewpoint.

Kaikoura Helicopter Tours

11.  Take a Photography Tour

With the many impressive coastal views, you’re in for a treat if you go on a photography tour. Maybe you’re not so good handling a camera for getting the best shots or maybe you just want to dumbfound your family and friends with your pictures. Joining a photographing tour is not only a great way to make the best pictures but the know the best places to take them as well.

March 16, 2018 by Your friends at Hotel 115

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