Kaikoura Region

Whales, Dolphins and the Whole Show

Kaikoura is the best place in New Zealand to get up close with marine mammals, and it's not really close. Sperm whales, massive dolphin pods, playful seals - it's all here, and it's all world class. The geography does it: mountains on one side, the Kermadec trench on the other, pumping nutrients up to the surface. For the whales I'd go by sea - first sailing of the day, calmer water - but if you want to see the sheer scale of these creatures from above, a scenic whale watching flight is something else. The RANKERS promo code gets you a discount on whale watching, dolphin encounters, and seal kayaking around town - worth using, there's a lot to tick off here.

On the Water or On the Peninsula

The Peninsula Walkway is my pick for land-based Kaikoura. You'll smell the seals before you see them. The views over the Pacific are great and you can do as much or as little as you feel like. For the seals in the water, do it by kayak - you're at their level and that's where they're most at ease. If you want to swim with dolphins, go in summer, the water is seriously cold the rest of the year. Give yourself at least two full days here, one just isn't enough.

Getting Here and Camping

The coastal drive on SH1 between Oaro and Kekerengu is genuinely one of the best in the South Island. Lots of pull-overs, rock art at Goose Bay, seals at Ohau Point, and the engineering along the route post the 2016 earthquake is wild. Outside of this stretch though, SH1 is pretty ordinary - the run from Christchurch to Oaro especially. For camping, the peninsula spots are the pick. Jimmy Armers is free but fills fast. If you want something more reliable, the holiday parks in town have the facilities - just don't spend all your time there when the good stuff is out on the peninsula. The RANKERS code also covers helicopter flights if you want to push the boat out.