Peninsula Walkway

About this place

The Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway is an 11.7 km track along the clifftops of a peninsula that juts 5 km into the Pacific, in the northeast of the South Island. It combines views of snowy mountains and sea, and passes a seal colony, making it one of the finest and easiest coastal walks in New Zealand. Māori have lived here for about a thousand years, and their tradition says the demi-god Māui stood here when he fished up the North Island. European whaling began in the 19th century, and since it ended in 1922 whales have thrived, making Kaikōura a whale-watching destination. A committee set up in 2002 developed the walkway as a community project. It starts from the town along the Esplanade to the Point Kean lookout, where you can see seals, tidal platforms and seabirds. It then climbs along the clifftops, with side trips down to the shore. Limestone rocks show folded layers, and a red-billed gull colony gathers here. An estimated 2,000 seals live in the area. The track starts from the town itself. The whole walk takes about three hours, and you can do just part of it. Keep well away from the seals and do not stand between them and the sea, as they may charge if disturbed. Bring a windproof jacket and suitable shoes, and check the tide if you go down to the rocks.