So you’ve come to Kaikoura, ready for a day out in the sun or on the water, but the weather has turned for the worse. What can you do?
You don’t have to be stuck inside your accommodation just because it’s raining out. While waiting for those storm clouds to depart, there’s plenty of indoor fun to be had.
Kaikoura District Library
Go to the library for some quiet downtime. The Kaikoura District Library is at Level 1, 96 West End.
Mayfair Theatre
Located at 80 Esplanade, the Mayfair Theatre was a much loved Kaikoura venue showing community theater productions, and housed in a beautiful old art deco building built in 1934. Unfortunately the building was severely damaged during the 2016 earthquake and has been closed since then. However they are hoping to reopen some time in 2020 – the damage was so extensive that the venue needs rebuilding.
In the meantime, the theatre has set up Mobile Mayfair which holds weekly movie screenings every Friday evening. This is done at Cafe Encounter and all fees go towards rebuilding the original Mayfair Theatre. The venue is running other fundraising activities as well all in the name of getting this much loved theatre venue operating again for the benefit of Kaikoura locals and tourists. Check out their Facebook page for the latest updates on the progress, as well as how to donate and details of Mobile Mayfair movie screenings.
There are no other cinemas in Kaikoura itself. The biggest cinema is all the way at Christchurch where there’s an open air cinema, as well as all the other big and small cinema chains and theatres.
Kaikoura Museum
The museum has different displays and exhibitions throughout the year, and these are all listed on the museum’s website calendar.
Currently there’s a Kaikoura Earthquake Exhibition happening, but this is a longer term display so there’s plenty of time to check it out. This exhibitions covers the fascinating history of earthquakes in the Kaikoura region and how they’ve shaped and changed the landscape.
Kaikoura Gym
Fancy working up a sweat? The Kaikoura Community Gym is located at 134 Beach Rd and have your standard gym facilities as well as personal training classes violable. A casual visit to the gym as a non member will cost you $15, or $95 for a one month membership if you’re planning to spend more time in Kaikoura and want to be able to drop by the gym whenever you feel like it.
Yoga at Kaikoura
Soul Studio at 40 West End offers yoga classes. The studio also has dancing (including salsa) and meditation classes with professional instructors.
Restaurants and Cafes
Then of course you could always while away the hours at any one of the numerous cafes and restaurants in Kaikoura and try something new to eat or drink!