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Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.
Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard.[1]
According to the 2006 census, the permanent resident population is 2,172, a 2.03% decrease since the 1996 census. The town is the governmental seat of the territorial authority of the Kaikoura District, which is geographically a part of the Canterbury Region. The District has a land area of 2,046.41 km² (790.12 sq mi) and a 2006 census population of 3,621 inhabitants.
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Geography
The Kaikoura Peninsula extends into the sea south of the town, and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life from the depths of the nearby Hikurangi Trench. The town owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre for the whaling industry. The name 'Kaikoura' translates to 'meal of crayfish' ('kai'- food/meal, 'koura' - crayfish) and the crayfish industry still plays a role in the economy of the region. However Kaikoura has now become a popular tourist destination, mainly for whale watching (the Sperm Whale watching is perhaps the best and most developed in the world) and swimming with or near dolphins. There is also a large and readily observed colony of Southern Fur Seals at the eastern edge of the town. At low tide, better viewing of the seals can be had as the ocean gives way to a rocky base which is easily navigable by foot for quite some distance.
It is also one of the best reasonably accessible places in the world to see open ocean seabirds such as albatrosses.
The town has a strikingly beautiful setting, as the Seaward Kaikoura mountains, a branch of the Southern Alps come nearly to the sea at this point on the coast. Because of this, there are many walking tracks up and through the mountains. A common one for tourists is the Mt. Fyffe track, which winds up Mt. Fyffe, and gives a panoramic view of the Kaikoura peninsula from the summit.
Mt. Fyffe owes its name to the first family to settle in Kaikoura, the Fyffe family. The cottage that they lived in, built in 1842, still stands, and is now a tourist attraction operated by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The construction of the cottage is unusual in that the supporting foundations of the house are made of whalebone.[2]
Media
Television
Kaikoura is served by two free to air stations (TVNZ and TV3). Also the digital television network SKY TV.
Newspapers
The main newspapers for Kaikoura are the weekly Kaikoura Star and daily The Marlborough Express.
Radio
Kaikoura has two radio stations on FM and various of the national radio stations on AM frequencies. The main FM stations are More FM (formally Sounds FM based from Blenheim) and Blue FM. AM stations include The Breeze and National Radio.
Climate
| Weather averages for Kaikoura | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 20.6 (69) | 20 (68) | 18.8 (66) | 16.6 (62) | 14.1 (57) | 11.6 (53) | 10.9 (52) | 11.5 (53) | 13.6 (56) | 15.3 (60) | 16.9 (62) | 19.1 (66) | 15.7 (60) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 12.8 (55) | 12.8 (55) | 11.9 (53) | 9.9 (50) | 7.7 (46) | 5.8 (42) | 5.1 (41) | 5.6 (42) | 6.7 (44) | 8.2 (47) | 9.8 (50) | 11.7 (53) | 9 (48) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 47 (1.85) | 59 (2.32) | 92 (3.62) | 81 (3.19) | 71 (2.8) | 75 (2.95) | 80 (3.15) | 78 (3.07) | 70 (2.76) | 74 (2.91) | 60 (2.36) | 54 (2.13) | 844 (33.23) |
| Source: NIWA Climate Data[3] 1971 – 2000 | |||||||||||||
Transport
The town is on State Highway One and the northern section of the South Island main trunk railway. Kaikoura also has a small, sealed airstrip located 6 km to the south of the main centre. The Kaikoura airstrip is mainly used for whale spotting tourist flights by Wings over Whales and Air Kaikoura, it can also be used by small private and charter flights. It is also used five days a week for return flights to Wellington by Sounds Air.
Rail
Kaikoura is served by the Main North Line, the northern section of the South Island Main Trunk. Due to the hilly terrain north and south of the township, the railway only opened to the town on 15 December 1945, seventy years after a line to the town was originally planned.
Kaikoura is served by the TranzCoastal long-distance passenger train, which connects the town with Christchurch to the south, and Picton and the Cook Strait ferries to the north. Kaikoura Station was the last station in New Zealand to have a refreshment room for passengers, which closed in 1988 when the Coastal Pacific Express (former name for the TranzCoastal) introduced on-board refresments.
Freight trains also pass through the town, mainly carrying freight between the marshalling yards at Middleton in Christchurch, and the Interislander rail ferries at Picton.
Gallery
 Seaward Kaikoura Range from Kaikora town |
 A sperm whale on a whale watching tour in Kaikoura |
 A fur seal on the beach at Kaikoura |
 A fur seal colony on Kaikoura's peninsula |
 The staircase in Fyffe House |
 The Seaward Kaikouras from Kaikoura |
References
- ^ "Green Globe". Kaikoura District Council. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
- ^ "Fyffe House at the New Zealand Historic Plaes Trust". Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
- ^ "Climate Data". NIWA. Retrieved on November 2, 2007.
External links
- Official District Council website
- Official Kaikoura Whalewatch Website
- Wings Over Whales Kaikoura Website
- Official tourism and information site
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 2 October 2008, at 04:52.
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