The Kaikoura section of the South Island’s eastern seaboard is one of the most dramatic coastlines in the country. The Seaward Kaikoura Mountains literally knife into the blue sea, especially when seen from Kaikoura or points south. The section of SH1 from 20km south of Kaikoura to 70km north is indisputably the finest coastal driving scenery in all of NZ—indisputably! On a sunny afternoon it’ll blow you away!
Kaikoura itself is seeing a renaissance as a tourism mecca based on its abundant sea life viewing opportunities. Most of the action is whale/ dolphin watching and it happens far offshore—so expect to pay for a tour to have any chance of seeing a whale—they don’t swim close to shore at all. The SealSwim program is also said to be fabulous (I haven’t done it in Kaikoura, but when I swam with seals in Mexico, the experience was amazing!) Also around Kaikoura is an abundance of NZ Fur seals. In Kaikoura and along SH1 the seals are everywhere (as opposed to the West Coast’s general seal scarcity) (see Seal info, App. 3).
Unlike some other touristy get-on-the-water towns, namely the North’s Paihia, Kaikoura has plenty to occupy you when you’re not on a paid tour. There are the famed Fur seal colonies to view, coastal/headland walking tracks, inland viewpoint tracks, good surf beaches…and everything comes with the smashing view! Kaikoura is worth the trip on any NZ itinerary.
Pt. Kean seal colony. Everyone’s must-see—expect tourist hordes all clustered around can’t-be-bothered seals who have hauled-out onto the rocks to sun and rest. This is a haul-out site for seals, so they don’t do much here except lay there. To see more active seals, head to the Ohau Point breeding colony.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway. The town’s most popular walk. It begins at either Pt Kean or at the less-busy South Bay. The i-Site encourages a 3-hour loop made from town, but this involves a dullish 1.5 hours of roadside walking. If you have a car just drive to Pt Kean and do an out/back or a shoreline/ridgetop loop. The shoreline portion is low-tide only. If you don’t want to walk the entire way from Pt Kean to South Bay you can shorten the loop by using the Whaler’s Bay midpoint shortcut. There are mapboards at each carpark detailing the route.
Kiwa Road surf beaches. 12km north of Kaikoura on SH1. Turn onto Kiwa Rd just 2km north of the Hapuku Bridge. This gravel road cruises by 1.5 km of beachside parking spots and surf breaks. The most surfing action is often at the “Meatworks” break down near the road-end.
Iron Gate Stream swimming hole. 17km north of Kaikoura on SH1. At the signed bridge for Iron Gate Stream, park on the seaward shoulder and look for the faint path that heads upstream about 125m to a swimming hole. The stream doesn’t look like much from the road, but the pool and its sunny little waterslide cascade hide just around the first bend of the stream. Great afternoon sun for a tan and refreshing freshwater rinse. Wear sandals and bring a cold one (cans!).
