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WOW! Views from State Highway 1, NZ
Sperm whale tail, priceless...
Kaikoura Seafood BBQ
Whale watching
Hello!
Anyone knows if the whale watch is near where the fur seals are? walkable?
Not very keen on joining a day tour, thinking of exploring by ourselves but we are not driving (would probably take the train or coach).
thanks!
p/s: thanks for all the replies to my other qns in the NZ forum... u guys are great!! :)
As I remember, the seal reserve is out at the end of the peninsula. The whale watch boats leave from the far side of town. A good 3 - 4 km. Walkable, but not a short walk.
Una has pointed out the seal colony at Point Kean on the Kaikoura Peninsula. This is indeed a lenghty walk from the town centre - and it is about midway between the Whale Watch Visitor Centre at the old railway station and South Bay where the tours start.
The problem with this seal colony is that it is only accessible at low tide. You might spot some seals lying on the rocks at high tide but this is at quite a distance and not the encounter you are dreaming of.
There are a lot more seals on the rocks further south of Kaikoura, and there is a fantastic colony at Ohau Point which is 20 to 30 km north of Kaikoura. For getting to the colonies further down south, it is too far away to walk, and it would be too dangerous, as there is no footpath along the narrow and winding State Highway that meanders along the coast.
So best you check out the tides and walk to Point Kean when you can walk on the rocks at low tide.
Nothing is easier than taking a photo of a flying seagull. Just make them fly, like here at Point Kean. Throw some pieces of bread high into the air and they go for it.
Having some fun as an animal trainer ;-)
Never travel without bird food ;-)
You will see different kinds of seagulls, ones with red beaks, legs and a red ring around the eye. They are the red-billed gulls and quite common. The black-billed gulls look less spectacular but are much rarer.
The first shore whaling station in Kaikoura was established in 1843 by Captain Robert Fyffe, located near where Fyffe House still stands today. (As you can read in another tip, Fyffe house stands on piles of whale bones.) Other whaling stations soon followed at South Bay – the site where now the boats of Whale Watch Kaikoura depart.
At some point the whaling industry employed more than one hundred men in the Kaikoura district. But whale numbers steadily declined after 1850, and the exploitation of them became un-economic.
Although whalers looked for other jobs, many going into fishing and farming, whaling continued sporadically. But only in 1964 New Zealand’s last whaling operations stopped.
The whale watching business started in 1989, and today New Zealand is a world leader in protecting those giant mammals.
fishing, surfing, all sorts of Beach activities, you name you can do it here.
Kaikoura has also a fine Hors racing track, and each year in Now. is the South Island Cup held here ..in the Trotts most of the equipment can be hired, and don't forget to book a trip to see the Whales
The dining room overlooks the waterfront, provides seating for around 60 guests, and has a welcoming ambience.
Local art is displayed in the walls and provides a unique and interesting setting. Usually we are only open in the evenings, but will cater for lunch bookings of 15 persons or more Seafood Platter
A supreme selection of fresh seafood including a whole crayfish, shrimps, salmon, fish, mussels and scallops (Serves two persons)
or
The Shark Diving trip is a must! it costs about $100 for a about 4 hours which includes some food on the boat. If you dont see sharks in the cage you will get about 30% of your money back. when we went, a few didnt get to see the sharks. The sharks are blue's and mako's, about 2-3 metres long. we also saw loads of dolphins. if youre sea sick, might be worth taking a tablet, can be a bit wobbly!
I didnt do the dolphin swimming or whale watching but both are meant to be awesome.
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