It's a Sign

Kaikoura. April 2009. Ajr

Only in Kaikoura!

Peep Hole - An Eye on the Land

Kaikoura. April 2009. Ajr

I love the way this slot-window in a new concrete pavilion on the Kaikoura Walkway at South Bay frames the landscape beyond. It's a living painting almost.

For Nostalgia

Kaikoura. April 2009. Ajr

Hands up if you remember these little beauties! The originals I mean - from the 1950s! These chubby little red plastic tomato sauce bottles are all the rage again. In fact, Little Rock in Kaikoura sells them by the bucket-load. They're their biggest selling item in the shop and owner Melanie Smith now bys them in lots of 200. She sold six in the 20 minutes I was in the store. I have fond childhood memories of them. I loved filling them. I loved fiddling with them at the table - which often got me into trouble; and I loved unclogging the little stem, where the stuck sauce had 'healed over' and releasing a fresh new torrent onto my plate.

Up Close and Personal

Images Supplied by Kaikoura Kayaks

Fur Seals Cavorting

For Foreign Visitors

Kaikoura Kayaks www.kaikourakayaks.co.nz

Paddling with Wildlife

Images Supplied by Kaikoura Kayaks

Of all the physical adventures I've tried in the course of writing the travel guide, Frommers New Zealand, kayaking is near the very top of my list of favourites. There are so many great stretches of water in this country that are perfect for kayaking - though few are richer in wildlife and unexpected surprises than the Kaikoura Peninsular. If you paddle out with the team from Kaikoura Kayaks you'll likely be joined - very quickly - by nosey-parker New Zealand Fur Seals. They love to join in the fun and you can get some great photographs. http://www.kaikourakayaks.co.nz/

Kaikoura Gold

Kaikoura. 2007 Ajr

Mention the word crayfish and most people start licking their lips. Crayfish, more precisely the salty spiny lobster (koura to Maori), is a delicacy that few can go past – and in and around Kaikoura, you don’t have to. You can stop at any one of a number of roadside caravans and ‘stalls’ to get your fill.

Aerial Geography

From the air - snow on the Seaward Kaikoura Ranges.

A few hours (by road) north of Christchurch.

The whole South Island had been hit by an icy southerly blast.

Clawing Your Way to the Top

Waipapa Bay, South Island, NZ 2007 Ajr
Anyone who has ever driven around New Zealand will be quick to recognise the quirky penchant we have for decorating our towns with larger-than-life regional features. The fishing town of Rakaia has its giant salmon; Ohakune has its giant carrot; Cromwell its giant fruit and so on. And, in and around the South Island seaside town of Kaikoura, you’ll find the assorted giant crayfish (NZ rock lobster) that the area is famous for. This little shop at Waipapa Bay, just north of Kaikoura is one of my favourites – I love the fact that the ‘adornments’ are almost as big as the building itself.

Up with the Birds

The Tree Houses, Hapuku Lodge.

When I was a kid growing up in the North Island, my brothers and I used to make tree huts in the big oak trees that bordered our garden. I loved those trees and my makeshift little hideaways. I blame them for the underlying desire I still have to live among trees. Imagine my delight then, when I discovered these magnificent tree houses at Hapuku Lodge, just north of Kaikoura. I stayed here last year and waking up to see sparrows singing in the branches right outside my lofty window triggered all my stored nostalgia for childhood tree houses. Mind you, it has to be said that the Hapuku Lodge tree houses are another ‘species’ altogether. These are architecturally-designed luxury hideaways and while they pay homage to the tree house concept in their construction and materials, extra comforts like huge bathtubs, fabulous sound systems and divine beds put them in another category entirely. www.hapukulodge.co.nz