There’s no better way to spend a day in Kaikoura than on the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway.
It’s free and easy to access.
There’s even a leaflet made just for this walk that you can pick up from the i-SITE office. It provides route information, and there’s no risk of getting lost on this one.
It’s the most popular walk in or near Kaikoura and a great option for those who don’t have the time or desire to go on the longer multi-day, paid for walks like the Kaikoura Coast Track.
In total, if you do the entire walk (you can certainly just do portions of it), the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is an 11km (6.8 miles) loop.
How long it takes you to do the entire 11km walk will of course depend on how often you stop to take in the scenery, and how fast you walk! There’s no serious up and downhill parts, but it is an undulating walk in some parts.
On average it takes around 3-4 hours for most people at a leisurely pace and with short stops along the way.
Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway takes you around the peninsula so you don’t miss a thing. You will walk past the famous pink Fyffe House, then go on to the world famous Kaikoura seal colony (remember: never approach the seals or block their path to the water).
The walk then follows down to South Bay where you can have a top down view of the seals on the rocks.
You can choose which way to go from here, over the peninsula and with great views of various waterbirds.
Gull nesting season is around September-October and they are known to be very defensive of their nests, so keep back and respect their space.
If you notice a fenced off area, it’s for Hutton’s Shearwaters who are being protected from predators in their own dedicated reserve.