Whales, dolphins, albatros, cray fish, fur seals, gennets, oyster catchers, you name it and you can find it here. Initially we were not planning to visit Kaikoura, as we suspected it to be a tourist trap. Because whales and dolphins can be found here year-round, there is a huge tourist industry with expensive boat trips, flights and even helicopter rides.
But we had a few days spare, Kaikoura was on the route and we wanted to go back to the beach. So we decided to try it out and see for our selves what the place is really like. And luckily our initial assumptions were wrong. Yes it is touristy, but the place has a relaxed atmosphere and there are plenty of nice things to do and see without paying anything. We visited two fur seals colonies that you can easily watch from land and we did two walks. One to a beautiful waterfall and the other on the cliffs along the coast. Also because our motel did not have good cooking facilities, we enjoyed several of the local restaurants that serve excellent food. Don’t forget to also take a look at our pictures to see it for yourself.
Next stop Christchurg, to exchange our red station wagon for a large camper van and to pick-up the grand parents who will join our adventure for a few weeks. Stay tuned.