Kaikoura Peninsula Walk!!

Wednesday February 20 started a bit cloudy but by around 11:30 a.m. the sun came out and the rest of the day was glorious- a high of 25C and it was hot!  We are still loving the fact that we get 2.5 hours more sunshine a day than Toronto (sunset in NZ is close to 8:30 p.m. compared to around 6:00 p.m. in Toronto).

Last night's full moon over the ocean

Sunrise in Kaikoura

Our Hostel, Dolphin Lodge, has a chart on the wall with some basic Māori.

Kaikoura roughly means "To Eat Crayfish".  Will definitely do so.

Sign in our Hostel with some Māori translations

After breakfast we stopped for a coffee at Bean Me Up.

Good coffee

At Bean Me Up

We then went to the Kaikoura Museum.  It is a lovely history museum, with a room of old photos of residents of the town; wonderful displays from when it was a whaling town; and lots of flora and fauna explanation and artefacts.   Due to deep ocean trenches near the shore, there are a lots of seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales.  An abundance of nature, for sure. In 2011, Kaikoura became the first destination in the world to gain an Earthcheck Gold Community certification due to its commitment to community sustainability through reducing its environmental impact and pressure on resource use.  In 2014, Kaikoura became Platinum Certified.

There was a separate room with an exhibit entitled: New Normal- The Kaikoura Earthquake Exhibition.  It contained photos, videos with personal recollections and art done after the earthquake.  The exhibit won an award in the Science and Technology category of a number of national museum awards.  It really combined science and community stories in an innovative way.

Outside of Kaikoura Museum, which also houses the Library and Council chambers

Kaikoura encompasses the peninsula in the picture

There was a small video running with pictures of Kaikoura women who were on the 1893 electoral rolls, the first year women were allowed to vote in New Zealand.  2018 was the 125th anniversary of the vote and there have been a lot of displays in museums and other venues we have visited celebrating that event.

The Boyd family was a major Kaikoura family

1893- a good year for women in NZ

Lots of characters from Kaikoura

Stories behind the naming of Kaikoura and the Kaikoura peninsula

Incredible birds on Kaikoura

Whaling artefacts

Lots of stories about the Koura-crayfish.  They are the southernmost rock lobsters in the world.

Yum- crayfish is a must for me---

The New Normal exhibit was excellent.  There are still scars from the November 14, 2016 earthquake.

We definitely saw some of these newly exposed rocks on the seacoast

Entirely possible!- sign in the exhibit

The stages of the earthquake-- occurred at 12:02 a.m. November 14, 2016 

There really were cows stranded after the earth upheaval- a children's book was written about the rescue

After our visit to the museum, we wandered a bit on the main street and stopped at Kaikoura Artisan Cheese and bought some sheep cheese.  All the cheeses are home made in the back of the store.

Home made cheeses

We changed to some lighter clothes, as the sun was getting quite hot, and started our four hour walk on the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway, which takes one all around the peninsula before heading back into town.

The walk from our Hostel down to the I-Site tourism office near where we started our walk

We did the entire walk marked in red from the I-Site up to the Point Kean seal colony, onto the cliff top, down to South Bay and then through Tom's Track over the arm of the peninsula and back to town

The first 40 minutes covered ground we had already walked our first evening in town when we went to The Pier Hotel and restaurant.

We passed the memorial to soldiers from Kaikoura who had died in WWI, WWII, Boer War and Vietnam

A carver had left a piece of work on the shore

Limestone rock outcroppings- probably more exposed after the earthquake

An old house that was built on whale bones

We checked out the gift shop but wanted to continue our walk so didn't go into the House

Whale bones outside Fyffe House

We were now walking on Fyffe Quay

Up close and personal

We sopped for lunch at Kaikoura Seafood BBQ, a local family business established in 2003.

Just a kiosk with a BBQ and wonderful fresh seafood

Crayfish fritter

Mussels

I love these Norfolk Island Pines

We then headed to the Peninsula Seal Colony and Walkway.

This seal was hiding in the car park- I don't think he/she was well

Another map of the Peninsula

There were some seals, but many were breeding elsewhere at this time of year

There was a large carpark at the Point, that apparently had been built before the seals came back.  Lots of people were walking along the coast looking for seals.  We continued with the Walkway, which now took us up the cliff.

Starting our climb up the cliff

Alain at a lookout

Lots of palm trees

There was very good signage along the walkway, identifying birds, and other features.

Life on the Edge--- motto of the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway

Yikes--- we have to go up that hill (not too bad as path is well worn and easy to walk on)

Looking down---- I think Edward Burtynsky should do some photos here, if he hasn't already

Seals and birds

We then walked through some farmer's fields.   The Walkway is partially through some private land.  Very well kept.  The fields had a very Van Gogh feel to them.

Peaceful hay fields

I tried a panorama- just amazing views

Hay and the Kaikoura ranges in the background

Another view

Alain

Lots of seabirds

South Bay Reserve--- finally heading back into the residential area on the south side of the peninsula

Tramping through another field

Māori marker on trail

Pointing the way

The last part of the walk was through an urban forest.  It was called Tom's track in memorial to Tom Smith, an environmentalist who drowned in 2003, rescuing a marine mammal.

Surprise hike through a forest

Just a bit further and we were back on the north coast, about a 15 minute walk from the Hostel.  I had to dip my feet in the sea.  The water was warm but it is a very rocky beach.  One local woman was swimming nearby.

Lovely light on the coast

Rocky beach

We had a short rest at the Hostel and then were picked up by the shuttle for The Pier Hotel, where we were having dinner.  Our young driver was originally from near Montreal; based now on Vancouver Island but travelling in NZ for a number of months.  He had come to Kaikoura for the surfing.  I really wanted to try crayfish, as that is the specialty of Kaikoura.  It is a southern rock lobster and very tasty (and très cher).

Alain had the special

The bar at The Pier - hotel was built in 1885

Alain with his gurnard fish, rice and veg

With half a crayfish (Koura)!!

The shuttle dropped us back at the Hostel.  Beautiful full moon over the ocean.

Moon over Kaikoura

We were very fortunate to have wonderful weather for our walk around the Peninsula.  While the pictures capture some of the beauty, one really has to experience it in 3D-- the sound of the water, the warmth of the sun, the beautiful landscape and the flora and fauna.

On Thursday February 21, we head to Christchurch.