Kaikoura Region

Where Mountains Meet the Deep

Kaikoura has one of the more dramatic settings in the country. Mountains hard up against the Pacific, and just offshore, the Kermadec trench plunging deep enough to feed one of the richest marine ecosystems in New Zealand. That combination is what makes the scenery here feel genuinely different from anywhere else on the South Island.

The Drive In Is Half the Experience

The coastal stretch of SH1 running through the region is worth taking slowly. There are plenty of pull-overs along the way, and the views of the Seaward Kaikoura Range stacking up behind the ocean are hard to drive past without stopping. My picks along the way are the rock art at Goose Bay and the Ohau Point Lookout, where you can watch seals doing their thing right below the road. Worth knowing that the sections north and south of this coastal corridor are considerably less interesting, so save the slow pace for where it counts.