Kaikōura coast camping

At Kaikōura the mountains drop almost straight into the sea, and a deep ocean trench just offshore brings sperm whales, dolphins and seals close to land year-round. The town runs on marine wildlife, coastal walks and a legendary crayfish scene.

Camping along this coast puts you near the peninsula walkway, the seal colony and the early-morning whale tours — an easy first or last stop on a South Island loop from Christchurch.

Whale tours leave early and are cancelled often when the swell is up, so allow two mornings rather than one if seeing sperm whales matters to you. The peninsula walkway is free, takes about three hours in a loop, and passes directly above the fur seal colony. Note the 2016 earthquake permanently lifted this coastline by up to six metres — the raised seabed you walk across used to be underwater.