Interview with Kyle from Barekiwi.com

Kyle “te Kiwi” Mulinder is behind Bare Kiwi, one of the top New Zealand travel blog, chronicling his adventures around New Zealand and Australia. He regularly visits Kaikoura and wrote a piece about his adventures here. He is the author of the viral video: A seal slapped me in the face with an octopus!

We’ve asked him a few of his favorite things about Kaikoura:

Kyle over the Kaikoura coastline

Kaikoura peninsula

… What’s your favorite things to do in Kaikoura in the fall?
Dolphin swimming is my favorite thing to do in Kaikoura. I also love seating back and let Kaikoura do its magic.

… What’s your favorite food to eat when visiting Kaikoura?
There is a lovely Thai restaurant in Kaikoura which I like a lot when visiting Kaikoura.

… What’s your favorite photography spot in Kaikoura?
That’s a hard one! There is a lot going on in Kaikoura! I think the lookout is my favorite. I love chilling out up there.

… What’s your favorite NZ photographer or blogger?
It has to be Shaun Jeffers. Check out his work!

… Finally tell us about your best souvenir visiting Kaikoura…
I have several but the first one is when the Kaikoura local tribe gave my a piece of pounamu a greenstone that I wear.
Another one is when a seal slapped me in the face by an octopus! I was testing a new camera with Kaikoura Kayaks. The video went viral globally!

Kaikoura seals

Dolphin swim Kaikoura

Thank you so much Kyle for sharing. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and YouTube.

Lonely Planet ranks Kaikoura in world top 500 food experiences

Visit the New Zealand coast where the crayfish is so good they named a town after it.

On the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island, about two hours’ drive north of Christchurch, is the picturesquely situated town of Kaikoura. Famous for the abundance of marine life present offshore, with sperm whales, dolphins and seals often spotted close to land, the town’s name derives from the Maori words ‘Kai’, meaning food, and ‘Koura’, meaning crayfish.

Quotas on the number of crayfish being caught in this region have been put in place to protect the marine life here and promote sustainable practices.  © Lonely Planet

Here at The Lodge, Chef Fiona Read serves the Kaikoura crayfish Whole and Grilled with a Chili, Horseradish & Lime Butter.

© Jessica Ward

State Highway 1 reopening after one year

Great News !! The New Zealand Transport Authority has confirmed that State Highway 1 (SH1), both north and south of Kaikoura, will reopen to traffic on December 15, 2017. It should be noted that initially the road will be open only from 7am until 8.30pm. Travelers will need to plan accordingly.

194 kms of our SH1 was badly-damaged by more than 85 landslides caused by the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in November of last year. We would like to send a BIG Thank You to all the people who have literally moved mountains to get the highway re-opened by this Christmas !

State Highway 1 - Mangamaunu

The stunning journey along Kaikoura's coastline is yours to enjoy once again. We look forward to welcoming you to Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses!

More information about the current conditions on the highway is available at www.nzta.govt.nz/p2c

Press Review - Air France Madame Magazine

Hapuku Lodge is the only New Zealand property to be in the prestigious Air France Gold List for 2017!

Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses welcomed the Australian Governor-General to a lunch

Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses welcomed the Australian Governor-General to a lunch

We hosted the lunch for the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, and his wife, Lady Cosgrove, and fifteen Australian officials who accompanied Sir Peter, as well as fifteen local residents and officials from Kaikoura.  We took this opportunity to introduce these important guests to our local seafood and the locally sourced venison.  They loved it.  And we had a great time.

Sir Peter was visiting Kaikoura with the attendant Australian officials to thank the town for having looked after all the Australians who were stranded and otherwise affected by the earthquake last November 14, 2016.  At the time, the town was landlocked, without power, water and adequate sewage facilities, leaving the many visitors stranded.  The Township did its best to look after everyone and it is the effort and graciousness of Kaikourians that the Governor-General came to honour.