KAIKOURA Kaikoura is a great place to both visit and stay over. Kaikoura is still a small town, but from a tourist perspective the community has tapped into the ‘whale watching’ bonanza. The town lives and breathes the business whale watching generates. Whale watching was the trigger that breathed excitement back into this historically ‘crayfish’ led country town. The Sperm Whale watching is recognised as the best and most developed in the world and swimming with or near dolphins. There is also a large and readily observed colony of Southern Fur Seals at the eastern edge of the town. At low tide, better viewing of the seals can be had as the ocean gives way to a rocky base which is easily navigable by foot for quite some distance. Whale Watching is very much subject to the weather being favourable, and to Kaikoura’s credit plenty of other interesting activities have stepped into the tourism gap that is created if land bound. Unfortunately we are unable to report on the Whale Watch cruise. A southerly was with us and for our two days the Whale Watch cruise was cancelled. Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard. Kaikoura a strikingly beautiful setting, as the Seaward Kaikoura mountains, a branch of the Southern Alps come nearly to the sea at this point on the coast, but are prone to trap the bad weather. This Mural on the northern edge of town captures the soul and future destiny of the town. The museum gives great insight into the paradox of a bygone era. There is also info on the 1993 flood that ravaged the town. The Kaikoura War Memorial is on the southern edge of town. The Anglican Church is just 100 years old and the Methodist Church has a high profile in the town. There are the traditional period hotels and Donnegal House still doing business in Kaikoura. A great town and allow two days.