“Magic where mountains meet Sea,” is what the flyer said advertising the small New Zealand coastal town of Kaikoura. This small town is located about fifty-five miles north of the South Island’s capital of Christchurch. You may recall that Christchurch was hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake back in 2011 creating billions of dollars of damage. We had visited this area in 2005. What we understand that a number of buildings we remember are now gone.
Our visit to Kaikoura was to take a ship out to see the whales. We saw a sign advertising “flights” over Kaikoura. It was a spectacular winter’s day in Kaikoura. Even though Kathie is “claustrophobic,” we decided to make that Piper flight over the area. It was one of the most “spontaneous” decisions we have ever made.
The area of Kaikoura is surrounded by mountains in the west and the deep blue sea to the east. The small town is nestled along the coast.
Our pilot did find a Humpback whale. The view of this Humpback was indeed unique from an aerial perspective. Our plane circled about five hundred feet above several times.
We stayed the night in one of these mom and pop hotels that dot the coast. It is not a very large town and mostly survives on tourists visiting the area to see the beauty and whales.
We took a ride out to a point and observed seals resting along the beach.
We met a man visiting from Sydney who was wearing a Bob Dylan shirt.
The next morning we left early only after observing a spectacular sunrise.
A 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Kaikoura this past Monday. They estimate billions of dollars of damage. Several roads are closed to landslides.
We will never forget how friendly and unique Kaifoura treated us. As of now, two people have died. We pray for the town’s recovery.