Kaikōura is located on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It is about 1 hour north of Christchurch or 4 hours from Queenstown. I would recommend spending 2/3 days here depending on how much time you have available.
Why Is It Worth Visiting?
Kaikōura is very underrated in my opinion. If you are a wildlife lover then this is especially a must-visit spot for you. It is famous for being the country’s best whale watching spot. Multiple tours leave daily to spot the many sperm whales that live off the coast.
If you love wildlife, check out this Catlins blog where you can see penguins, sea lions & dolphins.
I really like the town itself too, with many small, independent shops and local restaurants. The coast is also gorgeous, with golden sand and bright blue seas on a clear day. The surrounding mountains make for some great photos.
Camping Spots:
Freedom camping has slightly different rules here to the rest of New Zealand, as you are forbidden unless you have an accessible toilet. This means if it is located under a bench or bed, you are not allowed to freedom camp. This was annoying for me as my car did not follow these rules so I had to stay at a paid camp.
I camped at Donegal Pub which cost $20 for 2 adults per night. I would really recommend it, the location was ideal and it had great facilities.
If you are able to freedom camp, there are 4 different options which all look pretty good. Jimmy Armers beach looks lovely on the peninsula, as does South End Railway Station. I use campermate to find all the best camping spots.
The Best Things To Do In Kaikōura:
Walk the Peninsula Walkway:
This is my second favourite thing to do in Kaikōura (I’ve saved the best till last)! I start this walk by parking in one of the free spaces alongside the beach. This is ideal as you finish nearby so can go straight back to the car. The Point Kean car park is very close to the beginning of the peninsula walkway, but it gets extremely busy so it is hard to find a spot. The walk along the road back to the car at the end of the walk would also be very boring.
It is a 12km loop and took my friend and I about 3 hours. The first 4km are along the beach with spectacular views across the bay. We were lucky enough to spot a large pod of bottlenose dolphins off shore as we walked. At the Point Kean car park, there are signs pointing up the hill to start the walk, but if the tide is out I would recommend walking the coastal route instead.
As you round the headland the walk takes you by the seal colony, so take a while to stop and admire them. After walking along the beach a while, take the steps up the cliff to get to the headland and follow the footpath along it.
Once you’ve walked round the headland you can walk back across using the South Bay footpath. There are great views of the town and bay from the top of the hill as you descend towards your car.
This is one of my favourite walks in New Zealand, and really highlights the beauty of Kaikōura.
For my Top 20 Most Beautiful Places in New Zealand, click here
Wander the town
It is definitely worth spending a spare morning or afternoon discovering Kaikōura town. There are many great souvenir and gift shops like Jade Kiwi and Little Rock. I also got pretty lucky charity shopping here too at the SPCA and the local Kaikōura Community Op Shop.
After all that hard work definitely get an ice cream at Poppy’s Parlour. They only cost $5 each and were delicious.
Visit Fyffe House
Fyffe House is a lovely little Heritage Museum on the peninsula and is Kaikōura’s oldest surviving building. It was built in an area that had been occupied for more than 900 years by Māori. Robert Fyffe established the first whaling station in Kaikōura in 1842, and him and many family members lived in Fyffe House over the years.
It operates now as a museum detailing early shore-based whaling, farming and coastal life. It features original rooms, historic artifacts, and a gift shop. Entrance costs $12 per adult and is free for members or those under 18. They are open Wednesday-Monday (Oct-Apr 10 AM–5 PM; May-Sept 10 AM–4 PM) and are closed on Tuesdays.
Visit The Seal Colony
If you choose not to do the whole peninsula walkway, then it is still worth just walking to the beginning to see the seals. The colony is made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of New Zealand fur seals and you can observe them from only a few metres away.
Fur Seals were hunted to the brink of extinction in many areas by early European settlers, only recovering after receiving full protection in 1894. The population is now conservatively estimated to be 200,000, with an annual increase in numbers of 2%.
That said, when visiting the colony, don’t not approach these animals and never feed them.
Have Dinner At The Pier Hotel
This is also one of the paid camping areas available in the town. Sadly they were closed for camping when I was in Kaikōura, otherwise I definitely would have stayed here.
This is a great pub located right on the sea front, with tables inside and outside. My family and I had a lovely dinner when we visited, and it would be a nice place for just a drink too. It does get very busy in summer so make sure to reserve a table if you’re wanting to have dinner.
Walk To The Kaikōura Lookout
I walked from our accommodation by the pier hotel up to the lookout and back. This was 3.6km in total and took me just over an hour, it would be quicker than this if you parked along the beach.
The walk takes you right up above the town and has amazing views over the surroundings town and sea. This is one of my favourite things to do while in Kaikōura.
Do A Whale Watch Tour
The absolute highlight of my trip to Kaikōura, this is the best thing to do in this fabulous place. I did my tour with Whale Watch Kaikōura and they were great, I would absolutely recommend booking with them. Tours cost $175 per adult and $60 per child. Time spent on the water is just over 2 hours. However, with check-in time, safety briefing and bus transfers you should allow 3 hours 15 minutes in total.
The tours are extremely popular, so it is definitely worth booking this activity in advance. In the few days leading up to your tour, it is fun to check the ‘Latest Sightings’ section of the website. Here you can see what previous tours were lucky to spot, and get excited for what you might see.
Generally, 6 tours run a day, with the first at 7:45am and the last leaving at 14:00am. The boat motors out to start trying to find the whales. They are completely ethical, using hydrophones to listen to the echolocation produced by whales to track them, rather than enticing them with food or anything.
During this ride you are also likely to see a variety of birds, including 3 species of albatross, petrels, shearwaters and many more. Other mammals you might see include: Blue, Fin, Sei, Humpback, Minke, Pilot, Orca and Southern Right Whales, Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Southern Right Whale Dolphins, Elephant Seals and Leopard Seals.
My Tour
During the tour I went on we saw one sperm whale called Rangatira and the crew were great at giving information on the specific whale. We also saw a large pod of dusky dolphins and common dolphins on the way back to shore, as well as many different birds.
It should be known that tours do not go ahead if the weather and sea conditions are unfavourable. Sadly the second time I was in Kaikōura my tour got cancelled the day it was due to run because the sea was too rough. This was disappointing but better than going out in dangerous conditions, and we got a full refund within 3 days.
The tour I had gone on the weather conditions were very poor and genuinely about 50% of the boat threw up I think (including me sadly)! I still thought the tour was worth it, as I was desperate to see a whale, but I heard differing opinions among other people on the boat… The crew are good that they warn you if the conditions are bad before you sail, and you are entitled to a full refund if you choose not to travel because of this.
Thank you so much for reading this blog, I really hope it has aided you in your trip to Kaikōura
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