Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/Week 36, 2006
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. According to the 2001 census, the permanent resident population is 2,104, a 5% decrease since the 1996 census.
The name 'Kaikoura' means 'To eat crayfish' ('kai'- to eat, 'koura' - crayfish) and the crayfish industry is a major contributor to 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.
The town has a strikingly beautiful setting, as the 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 at the summit.