Kaikoura

i first went to Kaikoura from CHCH on the kiwi experience and stayed in a youth hostel on top of the hill, second time i went up on a shuttle bus from CHCH and stayed in a cheap hotel on the sea front. Both times a great experience! I found it is a popular tourist destination, yet peacefully quiet and relaxed! There is a main street of shops in the town with a few tourist ones and a range of cafes, coffe shops and couple of restaurants. The main attraction of Kaikoura is whale watching, sadly i went in winter and both times the boats were unabloe to go out due to bad weather. Howvere i have heard from fellow backpakcers (hence going twice) that the ...  Read the complete review

Kaikoura is a small town on the East Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. It has plenty of independent shops on the high street which helps add to the friendly atmosphere around the place. However, this town has a lot of experiences to offer! Firstly, and probably my best experince of New Zealand, was swimming with Dusky Dolphins. There is an amaziing centre offering this chance of a lifetime, at a cost! We booked 2 weeks in advance (I definitley reccommend to do this) and arrived for our swim at 4.45am. The staff at the centre were great fun and professional. We were suited with our wet suits, flippers, masks and snorkel and were ready to set out to sea. ...  Read the complete review

Kaikoura is on the east coast of the South Island and is rather cold when it gets the sea wind. The main attraction of Kaikora is the Whale & Dolphin watching. Here, you can take a boat trip that will set you back approxamately $150 (£50), to go out and find the whales. This may sound boring to you but actually, when you get close enough to the gigantic whale - and it lets out a huff off water or splashes it's tail... you'll certainly get wet and it's a great buzz to be so close to nature! This is a great stop on your way down New Zealand! ...  Read the complete review