Some places transcend their reviews.   Kaikoura exceeded all of our expectations.

Kaikoura is a small seaside community on the eastern coast of the South Island, two and a half hours north of Christchurch.   The town is situated on a narrow, rugged coastal area between the  Kaikouara Mountain Ranges and the Pacific Ocean.   To the north of the town a long arcing bay has a shingle beach facing the ocean.   We swam here, a short stroll from our camping area.

From our camping spot, we could walk into town, then we followed the shoreline south toward Kaikoura Peninsula.

Sandy beaches in front of the town start to give way to rocky shoals and reefs.

Limestone reefs are hazardous for boats, but we were able to (carefully) paddle out among the reefs to see the seal colony.   We spotted an area where dolphins were feeding, but the open channel was too rough to get out to the area.

On our hike, we went past the end of the road and followed a route across the rough shoreline to the seal and seabird colonies.

Behind the reefs were some sand dunes and shingle beaches at the foot of the headland hills.   We could proceed around the point at low tide.

There were hundreds of nesting seabirds on one rocky beach and pockets of birds in other spots around the headland.

We were able to explore tidal pools and found many seashells exposed along the rugged shoreline.

Also nesting in the cliffs were albatrosses and the parents took dive bombing tactics when I hiked too close.   These long-lived large birds have a 3m wingspan.

All along the reef, fur seals were basking in the sun.  Others were swimming and feeding around the shoals.   There were dozens of seals to watch.   This one was concerned about me.

Limestone seastacks and cliffs face the ocean’s surges at the end of the peninsula.   The trail climbs up to the headland at this point, but it is possible to scramble farther around the point when the tide is out.

From the trail up to the headland, there are wider views of the coastline bluffs and bays.

Sheep and cattle grazing pastures are found all over the country.   The mountains to the west rise above the green fields along the trail.

The trail winds over the hills and around the peninsula toward South Bay.

From a small park pavilion at South Bay, we looked back at the limestone headland of Kaikoura Peninsula.

We followed a trail from South Bay over the hills back to Kaikoura, a satisfying loop route on a memorable day.