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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.

According to the 2001 census, the permanent resident population is 2,104, a 5% decrease since the 1996 census.

Town of Kaikoura as seen from the peninsula.

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' 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. 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.

While technically not part of Marlborough, the town boasts the southernmost winery of the Marlborough region.

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.

Mt. Fyffe owes its name to the first family to settle in Kaikoura, the Fyffe family. The cottage that they lived in still stands, and is now a tourist attraction.

The town is on State Highway One and the northern section of the South Island main trunk railway. The town is served by the TranzCoastal long-distance passenger train. Kaikoura also has a small, sealed airstrip located to the south of the main centre. The Kaikoura airstrip is mainly used for whale spotting tourist flights by Wings over Whales, 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.

A view of the bay in Kaikoura showing the mountains

Seaward Kaikoura Range from Kaikora town

A sperm whale on a whale watching tour in Kaikoura

• Official Kaikoura Whalewatch Website
• Official tourism and information site
• "Where Mountains Meet The Sea" by Roderick Eime

Coordinates: 42°25′S, 173°41′E