Kaikoura

The township

of Kaikoura is situated on a peninsula on the north-east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. With the Pacific Ocean on one side, a small alluvial plane on the other and surrounded by an impressive mountain range, Kaikoura is a microcosm of the New Zealand wilderness.

It's name is Maori and is formed by the two words 'kai' for food and 'koura' for crayfish and although historically known as a great place to have a feed of crayfish it is now known for it's wealth of marine life, particularly the presence of Sperm Whales and Dusky Dolphins.

The Sperm whales that congregate off Kaikoura are generally young bulls spending time here until they are mature enough to leave for their breeding grounds. To support such large creatures a huge food chain must be present and Kaikoura provides this due to the confluence of currents and the resulting upwelling from the 'Hikurangi Trench', a deep valley on the ocean floor reaching depths of nearly 3000 feet only a couple of kilometres from the shore.

Other whales that are occasionally seen are, Southern Right Whales, Humpbacks, Fin, Sei, Minke, Long Finned Pilots and even the great Blue Whale.

A number of species of dolphins are seen around Kaikoura ranging from the worlds largest - the Orcas to the worlds smallest -the Hectors Dolphin. The Orcas are transient, passing through the area now and then staying only a day or so. There is a number of small resident pods of Hectors Dolphins living to the north and south of Kaikoura. Ocasional sightings of Common Dolphins and Southern Right Whale Dolphins are seen and there was a time when we had our own resident Bottlenose dolphin (called Maui) The most frequently seen and admired dolphin here however is the Dusky Dolphins. Often seen in pods of well over 100 (occasionally groups of over 500!) leaping and darting and generally appearing to be having fun.

Many varieties of birds are found in the area ranging from the magnificent Royal Albatross to the occasional litte Blue Penguin. High up within the Kaikoura mountains is the only known breeding colony of the Huttons Shearwater.

Many species of native land birds can be seen here aswell including the charismatic Kea and the rare native Falcon.

NZ Fur seals have three small breeding colonies within the area and are found in abundance most of the year.

Kaikoura also has some other interesting species unique to the area like the Kaikoura Black-Eyed Gecko and the Kaikoura Giant Weta found only in parts of the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges and southern Marlborough.

An incredible diversity of natural wildlife surrounded by spectacular and unspoilt scenery makes Kaikoura a nature lovers paradise.