Kaikōura – Day 1

On a blisteringly hot day in December 1976, two Canadian friends and I pedaled our bicycles through Kaikōura on our way to Hanmer Springs. Other than the melted road tar thrown up by my tires sticking to my legs, I don’t remember much about the town. It was time for a return visit.

A word about our hosts, Richard and Miriam.

A year before the cycling journey, I arrived in Wellington with a suitcase and a bicycle. I was about to begin my first real job after university.

On my first day I was introduced to my office mate, who had similarly just graduated from Victoria University in Wellington. It was Richard. His wife Miriam’s father was my first mentor. Not in a professional sense, but as a guide to life as a Kiwi. Bill gave me cultural advice, co-signed for my motorcycle loan, and was generally a very good egg.

His daughter, her husband, and I have been great mates ever since.

Kaikōura has become quite a tourist destination in the almost fifty years since my last visit. Whale watching is big business, as are other water sports like kayaking, diving, and fishing.

We began with a visit to the beach.

After leaving the beach, we drove to the base of Mount Fyffe for a short bush walk. Fyffe was a whaler back in the day.

Next up, a late lunch at a local Irish pub and campground.

Jet-lag fatigue forced us home after lunch. We managed one more short walk to the nearby golf clubhouse to meet a few neighbors, then came home to rest. Tune in again tomorrow to see what else we can discover around Kaikōura.