Kaikoura

Backed by the Kaikoura mountains, snow-capped most of the year, Kaikoura is an excellent place to stay for a few days and to make excursions by boat, kayak or raft around the coastline.

Marine life is so plentiful here because there is a massive wall just off the beach which goes from 90m to a dizzying 800m. Warm and cold currents mingle and the steep wall produces currents which bring nutrients up from the ocean floor. If you see red waters, they are massive shoals of krill, the sperm whale's favourite food and also munched on by larger fish and squid.

All year round, sperm whales can be spotted as they surface for air after a two-hour descent of the deep, sometimes diving down 3km in search of giant squid for supper. You are most likely to see them from October to August, while orcas (killer whales) are around from December to March.

Pelagic birdlife - cormorants and albatross among them - are also commonly found feeding on the rich marine life along the coast. Fur seals frolic in colonies along the shore and in search of the seals come sharks, which can be viewed from the safety of a cage if the idea appeals.

Dolphins are regular visitors to Kaikoura and include bottlenose, hector and dusky dolphins and are often seen while scuba-diving along with sea caves, kelp gardens, sponges, starfish and butterfish.

After a long day spent enjoying the treasures of nature, dine in style like the Maoris before you on crayfish, since Kaikoura means "meal of crayfish" in the Maori tongue.

Kaikoura was discovered by Europeans when Captain Cook arrived in 1770 and the earliest settlers lived by whaling (the first station was established in 1843). Whaling gave way to farming and now Kaikoura is a part of the Southern Hemisphere Whales Sanctuary.

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