The Honeymoon Guide to Kaikoura

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Outdoor Activities for Couples in Kaikoura

Most of the action in Kaikoura is outside, or better yet, out on the water. Here, we share some of the top outdoor experiences for couples.

Stretching your legs is a fun and free thing to do together, especially on the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway. The 11km (7-mile) track encompasses dramatic coastal scenery matched with lookouts over seal colonies. Seals even make their way onto the track, which is exciting to see but be sure to keep your distance! Find out more about the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway and other popular walks in the 5 Best Walks in Kaikoura.

While swimming with dolphins and whale watching is extremely popular in Kaikoura, no wildlife is quite as romantic as the albatross. These large seabirds mate for life, which you can learn more about on the Albatross Encounter tour. This bird-watching cruise takes you out to the edge of the Kaikoura Canyon, a deep underwater canyon harbouring nutrients that attracts all the famous local wildlife, where your skipper and guide will attract large pelagic birds for you to see close-up. Nothing compares to seeing these majestic seabirds up-close.

Try your chances at an even closer wildlife encounter, while enjoying the interesting coastal scenery, with one of Kaikoura’s kayaking tours. Choose to either peddle or paddle with Seal Kayak Kaikoura or jump into a double kayak with Kaikoura Kayaks, where either way, your teamwork will be put to the test manoeuvring together across the ocean. See more wildlife experiences in the 5 Top Wildlife Activities in Kaikoura.

For more ideas, check out the 10 Romantic Activities in Kaikoura for Couples.

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Indoor Activities for Couples in Kaikoura

If you need a break from the sea breeze or the weather isn’t playing ball, here are a few all-weather activities to keep you and your loved one entertained in Kaikoura.

Challenge yourselves to escape a room within one hour at The Emporium Escape Rooms. The escape room complex, which also has an on-site brewery, offers two themed escape rooms where couples and groups work together to solve a series of puzzles and clues to escape the room! After the experience, celebrate the success or drown your sorrows with a craft beer made on-site. There is an 18-hole mini-golf course on the complex too.

Ah museums, you can always rely on them on a rainy day. The Kaikoura Museum is well worth checking out thanks to its fascinating displays about Kaikoura’s wildlife, Maori culture, the town’s fishing and whaling history, as well as an exhibition about the 2016 earthquakes that shaped the landscape.

For more inspiration on what to do in Kaikoura, see our 10 Kaikoura Must-Dos.

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Romantic Restaurants in Kaikoura

You won’t find lavish fine dining in Kaikoura. You will, however, find down-to-earth dining experiences and specialities that are hard to find anywhere else.

Be sure to try fresh crayfish (the seafood that Kaikoura was named after by the local Maori) at Nin’s Bin. This food truck is located 20 minutes north of Kaikoura on State Highway 1. Otherwise, dine at the casual Kaikoura Seafood BBQ on Fyffe Quay, which also serves mouthwatering crayfish meals.

For more an upmarket dining experience, try the Green Dolphin Restaurant & Bar on Avoca Street, serving all kinds of Kiwi favourites like crayfish, paua, local lamb and aged Canterbury rib-eye steak. For lunch, we recommend Hislops Wholefoods Cafe on Beach Road for their fresh organic cafe meals.