After the Christchurch Marathon: Kaikōura
The Route: Christchurch → Kaikōura → Christchurch Airport Logistics: Hire car, about 2 hours 30 minutes north on State Highway 1. The Coastal Pacific scenic train runs seasonally; check whether it operates in April. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights
Christchurch ──(approx. 2 hrs 30 mins by car, SH1)──> Kaikōura
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Christchurch Airport (CHC) ◄──(approx. 2 hrs 30 mins)┘
The Christchurch Marathon finishes in North Hagley Park in mid-April. Two and a half hours north, Kaikōura sits on a short peninsula where the Seaward Kaikōura Range, already snow-capped by late autumn, drops almost straight into the Pacific. Just offshore, the Kaikōura Canyon plunges more than a kilometre deep, and the cold, nutrient-rich water it brings up feeds whales, dolphins and seabirds all year. Nothing here requires fit legs.
April in Kaikōura is autumn: calm, clear days are common, with cool evenings and the first snow on the peaks behind the town. Sperm whales live in the canyon year-round, so whale watching is not seasonal, though sea conditions decide whether boats sail. Allow two nights so that a cancelled trip can be moved to the next day.
State Highway 1 north from Christchurch follows the coast from about Oaro, with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. The road was rebuilt after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, which lifted parts of the coastline out of the sea by several metres. Allow two and a half hours.
Night One: Kaikōura
The name means "meal of crayfish" in Māori, and Ngāi Tahu, the iwi of the area, have lived on this coast for centuries. The town is small and walkable, strung along the Esplanade facing the bay.
The recovery walk is the Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway. From the car park at Point Kean, at the end of the peninsula, a colony of New Zealand fur seals lies on the rocks a few metres away; keep 20 m back. The shoreline track from Point Kean follows the rock platforms at the foot of the cliffs and is mostly level, though uneven and slippery in places; the clifftop section above has a steep climb. On the first day, stay on the shore at low tide and turn back when ready.
Night Two: The Whales
Whale Watch Kaikōura, owned by Ngāi Tahu, runs boat trips of about three and a half hours from the old railway station, with sperm whales seen on most trips, along with dusky dolphins, fur seals and albatrosses. The boats are enclosed with seats, and the only effort is walking on deck when a whale surfaces. Book ahead, and read the cancellation policy, because trips are called off in rough seas. Sea sickness tablets are sensible. Check prices on the operator's site.
For those who would rather stay dry, whale-watching flights leave from the local airfield, and on a clear day the view of whales from above, with the mountains behind, is the one on the postcards.
Where to stay: Hapuku Lodge, just north of town, has treehouse rooms raised among the trees with views of the sea and the mountains, and a restaurant using produce from its farm. In town, motels along the Esplanade put the bay and the restaurants within a short walk.
Where to eat: Crayfish is the local dish. Nin's Bin, a caravan on the coast road about 20 km north of town, has been selling cooked crayfish from the roadside for decades, to be eaten on the rocks opposite. In town, the Esplanade's cafés serve fish and chips and seafood. Crayfish prices vary with the catch; use any figure as a guide only.
Getting to Christchurch Airport
Christchurch Airport (CHC) is about 2 hours 30 minutes south by car on State Highway 1, bypassing the city centre on the northern motorway. Allow extra time for roadworks on the coastal section, which continue in places after the earthquake repairs.