Kaikoura Regional Information

Kaikoura | Regional Information | Activity Highlights | Scenic Highlights | History

Fur seals lounge on rocks just metres from the Kaikoura shore, dusky and hector's dolphins frolic in the sea, while a few kilometres out, giant sperm whales haunt the depths. View Kaikoura scenic video.

Kaikoura Overview

Situated about halfway between Christchurch and Picton on the east coast of the South Island, Kaikoura is where the mountains almost reach the sea.

A branch of the Southern Alps, the Seaward Kaikoura Range rises almost directly out of the ocean in places and many of its peaks are snow-capped for most of the year. The highest mountain in the range is Manakau at 2610 metres, and the most imaginatively-named is Mount Horrible.

» Seaward Kaikoura Range Information

This unique combination of ocean and mountains offers stunning coastal alpine scenery and a host of eco-tourism activities including whale watching, dolphin swimming and seal snorkelling.

Send a Kaikoura related E-Postcard to your friends.

Kaikoura Highlights

Walk the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway and discover seal and bird colonies along the coast. Whale watching and swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura is world-famous.

Kaikoura is quite small, with only a resident population of approximately 3,600 in the township and rural areas (2006 Census).

In Māori, Kaikoura literally means 'to eat crayfish', and this is a big delicacy here.

If you're keen to try this New Zealand delicacy, take a trip to Nin's Bin.

Main Centre in Kaikoura

• Kaikoura - known for its crayfish

Useful Kaikoura Links

To help plan your Kaikoura holiday choose from the main categories below

• Kaikoura Accommodation
• Kaikoura Tours
• Kaikoura Attractions and Activities
• Kaikoura Transport
• Kaikoura Cuisine and Dining
• Kaikoura Shopping
• Kaikoura Visitor Information

Send a Kaikoura related E-Postcard to your friends.

Kaikoura Region Information

Kaikoura Tourism Operators