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Located two hours south of Picton Waitohi and one hour north of Christchurch, Kaikōura is a beautiful seaside village who’s name literally means “meal of crayfish.” Known for its fishing and marine wildlife, Kaikōura was the perfect place for us to end our two-week adventure through the South Island of New Zealand with a toddler.
We spent two days wandering in the natural beauty of this land with an 18-month-old.
Read on to find the top three kid-friendly activities to do in Kaikōura.
Kaikōura is on the traditional lands of the Māori.
Hike the Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway
The Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway is a relatively flat out-and-back trail that takes you along the cliffs of the peninsula. The whole trail is 7 miles from start to finish.
Our goal was to find a lookout to see the fur seal colony, and to find the tiny yellow lighthouse located along the cliffs of the peninsula. Our family hiked for about one hour before we turned around to head back to our car.
In the summer, the trail was lined with tall grass, with a backdrop of steep mountains. We heard you can often see whales from the cliff trail too, but didn’t find any on our hike. We did, however, see a tiny lighthouse that we almost missed because it was so small. I love lighthouses and was happy to see one more lighthouse in NZ in addition to the Nelson Lighthouse before we returned home.
Park at the Point Kean Viewpoint at the end of Fyffe Quay to begin the hike.
Eat Crayfish
There are a ton of options for eating crayfish, and since you are in a town known for crayfish, you must make a point to give it a try. Crayfish tastes like lobster, but is much smaller, and lives in fresh water like shrimp. Here are a few places we tried:
Cods & Crays is a food truck parked on the beachfront in Kaikōura, serving up crayfish, mussels, and real fruit ice cream. We shared the crayfish meal (NZ$45) and the real fruit ice cream (NZ$6). Check out their menu here.
Kaikoura Seafood BBQ is located on Fyffe Quay and offers crayfish, mussels, and fish on the cheap. We liked the laid-back atmosphere, outdoor seating, and the meal presentation.
Have tea at the Lavendyl-Lavender Farm
Lavendyl Lavender Farm Kaikōura is the perfect place to stop for a picnic lunch. Pay the NZ$5 entrance fee and take a walk through the farm, visit their gift shop to buy lavender scented lotions and candles, and visit the lavender café for high tea (NZ$35/per person), breakfast (NZ$15 per person), or ice cream.
We pre-ordered a picnic lunch basket (NZ$35/per person) and enjoyed it with our toddler in the middle of the lavender farms. It was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.
The farm asks that you book your food choices at least 24 hours in advance.
Where to eat
After you've had your fill of crayfish, check out these other locations for delicious seafood options.
Coopers Catch
Located off the side of the road, with awesome ocean views, and delicious fried seafood options, Coopers Catch is an easy win for families with young kids. My partner loved the fish and chips, while my toddler loved the chips.
The Pier Hotel
For a fancy dinner night out, get a reservation at the Pier Hotel for a delicious meal in a historic building right on the Kaikōura peninsula. I especially enjoyed playing on the outdoor playground and jumping on the trampoline with our toddler while we waited for our food. When the food finally arrived, I happily ate the ribs (NZ$33) while my daughter enjoyed the soup (NZ$17).
Where to Stay
Waikoura Springs Farm
Although there are plenty of places to stay in Kaikoura, we chose to do a farm stay at Waikoura Springs Farm. The two-bedroom rental had a private bathroom and a warm breakfast included for an extra fee.
At the time of this writing, we were able to book a tour of the crayfish farm as well and learned so much about subsistence farming. Contact the host for more details.
Kaikōura was the last stop on our two-week NZ trip with a toddler, and one of the most beautiful. There was something different about this landscape – it was more rugged, more wind swept, more impacted by the ocean and elements. Believed to be the place Maui fished the North Island of NZ out of the water, you can feel the sacredness of this place.
Kaikōura offered a picturesque setting of stunning mountains, with a beautiful ocean, and marine wildlife different from my California coastal homeland, yet somewhat familiar.
It felt like the perfect place to say “goodbye” to the natural beauty that is New Zealand, and a place to send my thanks to the creator for the opportunity to travel here with my partner and toddler. The memories I made will forever be in my heart.
This post is part of a series of posts about visiting the South Island of NZ with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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