Wild about Kaikoura
It is here, offshore of Kaikoura Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, that one of the ocean’s largest mammals seeks out his meal. Among the ravines and crevasses of the Hikurangi Trench, a sperm whale sounds off in search of prey; with luck the echoes from his call will lead him to a giant squid lurking in the darkness. After about 40 minutes at lung-crushing depths, the toothed behemoth heads for the light, breaking the surface with a burst of stale air from his lungs. The spout triggers a top-side flurry of camera clicks and flashes. Freckles, named for the white marks on his tail, has been coming to Kaikoura for the past 12 years, one of the bachelor sperm whales who make the most of the incredibly rich larder provided by Hikurangi Trench. His are familiar flukes for the Whale Watch Kaikoura crews, and their boats are ready and waiting with expectant tourists when he reaches the surface to swap the carbon dioxide in his blood for oxygen, ready to dive again. Freckles and friends have been the stars in Kaikoura’s ugly duckling rise from nondescript fishing village to New Zealand’s marine adventure capital. Today the town is a Mecca for foreign and local tourists. And cash registers are ringing. A big part of the town’s success is its cast of supporting animals that back up the high profile whales. Dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, other whales species and seabirds attract their share of watchers, and more recently sharks and shorebirds have joined the stage. The backdrop for this action is one of New Zealand’s most scenic and spectacular views - rugged snow topped mountains, verdant rolling hills and wide sweeping bays. Kaikoura owes much of its success to the natural phenomena that is the deep-sea Hikurangi Trench. Described as an underwater Grand Canyon, its richness brings in the whales. Nutrients from dead animals decomposing on its dark floor sweep up into the light zone. There huge plankton populations flourish, in turn feeding fish which feed seabirds and marine mammals. It also owes part of its success to the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. This is a made-over town, a multi-dimensional tourist-crammed destination, with an array of activities to tempt people to stay and pay for more than just a whale watch trip. It’s a long way from the sleepy fishing village of the 1960’s and ‘70s, when the highlight was a guddle in the peninsula’s rock pools. Today, while the wildlife dines off shore, the thousands of tourists who flock to see it dine in the cafes and wine bars that now line its main streets. About 800,000 visitors a year stop over, expected to reach one million by 2005. While boating to whales or flying over them are still the main appeal, closely followed by encounters with dolphins, visitors can now kayak with seals, snorkel with seals or take a guided walk to seals. They can boat to seabirds or drive to shorebirds; dive with sharks or dive to look at fish; boat to catch fish or crayfish. They can hunt pigs, chamois or possums; raft rivers; climb mountains or walk around the peninsula; trek on horseback or the seat of a four-wheel drive vehicle; tour farms or caves; or ski. Even the less active are catered for with a lavender farm and winery, golf course and petanque court, historic sites to visit and arts and crafts to trail. It’s to photograph sharks that we come to Kaikoura. We put to sea with the crew at Shark Dive Kaikoura, and a small group of nervously expectant customers who have signed disclaimers against being nibbled, chomped or scoffed. Our visit is in December, the start of the season, and we are warned that sightings are less reliable than during the warmer watered months of summer – 50:50 as opposed to a 90:10 chance after Christmas. The warning is reliable, which means the sharks aren’t – they don’t show up on day one, and only fleetingly on day two. Sharks are drawn to the boat by the sniff of burley, a trail of fish oil and fish bits that is, we hope, irresistible. The cage waits ready in the water. Wet-suited customers wait on the boat. When the buoy trailing behind the boat bobs, it shows a shark has taken the fish bait dangling below it. The line is hauled in while two people get into the cage, weighted, goggled and on air supply. The plan is to draw the shark right up to the cage to give those inside a risk-managed thrill of their lives. People come up cold, but buzzing. While sharks bring us to Kaikoura, there is down time between trips to try other activities. We meet fur seals on their turf, off the end of the peninsula. We go inland to see crested grebes and nesting shags, and offshore, pre-dawn, to view the breathtaking ocean birdlife - albatross, petrels, mollymawks, shearwaters, skua and terns. And, inevitably, we go whale watching. Whale watching is undoubtedly still Kaikoura’s star attraction. The company put 90,000 people on the sea last season. The day we book is grey. We are on the early boat and lucky enough to meet Freckles, common dolphins and a young humpback taking time out from its travels to rest in the bay. By the time we land the mist and rain have closed in, the world is shut beyond 20 metres. But still the queue snakes out the doors as people clamour to pay their NZ$99 for the fluke of seeing a fluke on such an awful day. There is none of the crush and crowds on the pre-dawn pelagic bird watching trip with Ocean Wings. For the first time in two days the ocean is oily and still and the majestic Kaikoura mountains flush pink in the early light. We share the boat with a British couple, serious tickers who know their albatross from their petrel and are rapt to see so many. The pelagic bird trips grew from an informal service offered by ex-Kaikoura fisherman, Gary Melville. For 25 years he trawled the seas and was in the habit of taking bird fanciers along on his 12-hour day – he fished while they spotted, and in between he learnt from them. An effective birders’ grapevine meant increasing numbers of people, mostly foreign, knocked on his door in the hope of a trip. And then he was made redundant. Happily, he and a local dolphin swimming company came to an agreement. It had a boat it no longer used, he had no job, so his informal service turned into a commercial venture. More than 40 of New Zealand’s 90-plus ocean bird species can be found off Kaikoura and, while you never know quite what you’ll see, Gary recommends June to September when cold pulses in ocean currents bring in the deep sea birds. “People rave. They say it’s the best bird experience in their life. Some days there is a staggering amount.” Seals also flock to the rocks off Kaikoura, to bask, breed and feed over summer. To watch a seal stretched out full in the sun, its back flipper languorously scratching its hide, is to watch nature at her hedonistic best. For 14 years Graeme Chambers’ has taken people into the water off the peninsula to swim with seals. Son Matt is now also part of the shore-based business. They offer a relaxed adventure, and mean to keep it that way. “The first trip of the season has to be a good one,” Graeme says. Then the backpacker grapevine brings in business. Just to make sure, he never charges till each trip is over. People who have a good time are happy to pay, if not, they negotiate a price. It helps from Graeme’s perspective as well – “It can be stressful if you guarantee people something that is not in your control.” These days, if the conditions are dodgy he just doesn’t go - cutting out the worst 5% of the trips removes 80% of the stress. The idea for a shore-based seal swim sprouted when Graeme was running 4WD safaris. Mid trip, talking over the afternoon teacups, he raved about the bountiful seas around the peninsula, talk that led to offers of a beach barbecue. Next day they went snorkelling in search of crayfish for the grill, but the seals were a pest, getting in the way. Or so Graeme thought. Back on land it was all his guests could talk about. “I asked them, how much would you pay to do this? We wrote the business plan right there on the beach.” It could be the script for Kaikoura’s make-over. ENDS Fact File Getting to Kaikoura is part of the adventure. You can cross Cook Strait by air or sea, and then head south by car, bus or train. If you want to leave your car at home, Sounds Air Scenic flies a Cessna Caravan from Wellington to Koromiko, near Picton. On most days the first flight south is 8am, and the last flight north at 5.40pm. Return fares are $139 adults, $119 children (4 – 14 years). Contact Sounds Air Scenic on 03 5736184 or e-mail soundsair@xtra.co.nz. Air New Zealand run daily flights to Blenheim airport, and if you meet certain criteria the fare can be as low as $97 return. Or you can take the Cook Strait ferry, fast or slow. Standard adult Lynx fares are $68 one-way, and the Interislander is $52 one-way. Cars cost extra. A range of discounted and return fare options and packages are available, depending on when you go and for how long. Contact Tranz Rail at passengerservices@tranzrail.co.nz or 0800 843 596 for details about packages. Once in Marlborough, five companies offer daily shuttle services to Kaikoura from the Koromiko or Blenheim airports and the Picton ferry terminal. Fares range from $15 - $20, one way. Your choices are: • South Island Connections 03 366 6633 • Atomic Shuttles 03 322 8883 • East Coast Express 0508 830 900 • Southern Link 03 358 8355 • Intercity 03 379 9020 Or you can connect with the TranzCoastal train, leaving Picton daily at 1.40pm and arriving in Kaikoura just after 4pm. Heading north, the train arrives in Picton in time to connect with the 1.30pm sailing of the Interislander. Fares range from $29 - $42 one-way, depending if saver fares are available. The Kaikoura Information and Tourism web site (www.kaikoura.co.nz) provides great detail about events, activities and accommodation options. © Marieke Hilhorst/ORIGIN NATURAL HISTORY MEDIA |