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Kaikōura
What's in a Name?
Kaikōura is a seaside town wedged between the mountain range of the same name and the South Pacific Ocean.
It was given the name by Tama ki te Raki, an early Maori explorer, who paused here on his exploration of New Zealand's South Island to eat a meal of crayfish. Thus this area became known as Kaikōura--literally it means "to eat crayfish." One can only hope he showed more original names for his other discoveries!




A Brief History of Kaikōura
Settled by the Maoris, the area offered an abundance of sea food, and its ownership was contested by rival Maori tribes in the early 1800's. The area was known to Europeans from the sea voyages of Captain Cook, although he never anchored his ships there. In 1842 Kaikōura saw its first influx of Europeans the the Fyffe family who, along with John Guard, established a whaling station with a crew of 40 men. A second station at South Bay was established in 1867, and it became the commercial center of the town, as it remains to this day. As the number of whales decreased, the Fyffe family diversified into shiping and farming. Modern Kaikōura evolved with the completion of the Picton to Christchurch in December, 1945. However overfishing saw a decline in the economy by the 1970's. Starting in 1985, locals developed a tourist center and began promoting the town as a tourist destination. Primary draws were the walking trails where marine life could be spotted, as well as boat trips to view the whales. It was crippled by the November 14th 2016 earthquake, the second largest magnitude in New Zealand History.

Things to see in Kaikōura
The Fyffe House (photo to the left), is the only remnant from the whaling industry. The oldest part of the building, the single storied wing, was built by Robert Fyffe for the cooper who made the barrels to store the whale oil. The cottage  was quite literally built upon whaling--its foundation consists of whale vertebrae, It provides visitors a rare opportunity to feel the small-roomed confines of a whaler's cottage, touch whale bones and baleen, and even smell the fragrant aroma of whale oil. It houses a museum dedicated to whaling. Exhibits of Cooper's wing of the Fyffe House are shown below. as well as a brief YouTube video from Chris Martin Touring



The Garden of Memories is situated opposite the Kaikōura Memorial Center. The small garden features a number of whalebone arches (since replaced by concrete replicas) and is a tribute to those in Kaikōura who sacrificed their lives during the two World Wars. Early in 1921 a memorial obelisk dedicated to the memory of Kaikōura servicemen killed in World War I was unveiled. It overlooks and provides access to the beach below. Early in 1921 a memorial obelisk The spot for the memorial park was sandy, stony, and generally inhospitable to all but local plants. It was the dedicated effort of Lydia Washington that brought the area to life. The adjacent Kaikōura Memorial Center contains plaques and an honor roll of the World War I fallen at its entrance.

The Kaikōura Museum is located on the first floor of the town's library and main civic building, and consists of three spaces. It showcases Kaikōura's diverse and colorful natural, social, and cultural history. The Kaikōura's collections take into accound the geological and natural history of the district (including some impressive dinosaur fossils) Taonga Maori (valued possessions of the Maoris), early colonial life, whaling, fishing, surfing, and a large collection of marine specimens. The museum's New Normal exhibit details the effects of the catastrophic 2016 earthquake.


Kaikōura Peninsular Walkway. There are numerous walkways in the Kaikōra region. One of the most popular is the Peninsular Walkway which justs from the rugged east coast of the South Island, offering views of the sea, and with mountains as its backdrop. A wide variety of animals may be observed--whales, dolphins, seals, birds, and crayfish. The route is dotted with information panels explaining the rich history, geography, animals, and plants that make the area a unique biosphere.