Day 1: Picton to Kaikoura
Kaikoura is spread out along a long shingle beach. The compact downtown area is on both sides of the road. South of that is a residential area with some hotels along the main road. North of downtown is the train station, the launch point for the whale watch, and services like the supermarket and fuel stations. Our hotel was on the south side.
It was a nice level walk along the water into “downtown.” The walk went through this park with whale bones forming arches over the path. It was a long walk from our motel to the supermarket and Liquorland so we took a backpack and got everything in one trip. It’s level but the northern stretch is boring.
We had a nice dinner at The Craypot.
Day 2: Walk to Fyffe House
If you want to do the Whale Watch in Kaikoura, book early! I booked in early December for mid-February and most tours were already full for the three days we were there. Morning is supposed to be best; I had to book for 16:45 because that was the only tour with seats left. In the end it was canceled due to weather and there were no openings so we could reschedule. So we got a refund and walked to Fyffe House instead.
Fyffe House is a historic landmark. We didn’t go inside.
The walk is nice and wide and follows the shoreline, so there are beautiful views the whole way. Near Fyfee House were some intriguing rock formations. They reminded us of the pancake rocks we saw on the west coast, though much smaller and vertical.
Seagulls are pretty; too bad they’re often obnoxious. We got a good photo of one of the black-and-white cormorants we’ve seen a lot of on this trip. We walked into town and had a couple of beers on the rooftop deck at The Whaler followed by burgers and steak.
Day 3: Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway
The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway was our other “must-do” in Kaikoura and it alone was worth the trip. Scenic and lot of wildlife.
It was Valentine’s Day today so we booked a table at Strawberry Tree. The atmosphere was festive. Below are some local examples of kiwi humor. We’re not sure if the arrangement of stones and driftwood was meant to look like an animal but it did to us.
Essentials
Lodging
We stayed at the Sails Motel in Kaikoura. It’s a tiny place with three studios and one larger unit. They each have their own outdoor space. It wasn’t fancy but it was functional, good value, and the owner was a gem. Our train out didn’t leave until 16:25 and since it was blustery and rainy we didn’t want to go for a walk like we’d originally planned. He let us hang out in larger unit until it was time to catch our train.
Dining
There’s a pretty good selection of dining options in Kaikoura. We had delicious smoked fish cakes, fish and chips, and Sicilian seafood soup at The Craypot. Their specialty is crayfish but we weren’t in the mood for that. At The Whaler we had a super fast burger and their “legendary porterhouse meal” with good garlic sauce. I was a little leery of the steak quality because of the $19.99 NZD price but it was good! We had a couple beers upstairs on their deck too. At the Strawberry Tree we shared excellent brisket and pulled pork, with potato salad, slaw, pickles, and cornbread. They have lots of seafood options too.
Transportation
We took the Coastal Pacific scenic train in and out of Kaikoura. The train station is not staffed; train staff handle onloading and offloading passengers and baggage when the train pulls in. There is cover from rain, and the Whale Watch that shares the building has restrooms. Kaikoura is flat and easy to walk, though we did a lot of walking since everything is spread out along the coast. At least it’s a pretty walk!