The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is a gorgeous circuit walk that showcases the very best of the coast, and of course plenty of places to see those loveable NZ fur seals. However, much of the walkway follows the road; you’ll still have sea views, but it doesn’t feel like a walking track as such. So we decided to do it a little differently.
If you prefer your walks a little more wild, then we’d recommend choosing the most beautiful section of the track which won’t take you along any of the road stretches. It’s a fantastic walk and can easily be squeezed into just a couple of hours.
Here’s the route to use to see the best of the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway, one of our favourite things to do in Kaikoura.
The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway: the best bit
The stats
Distance: 8.1km
Elevation: 200m
Difficulty: Easy
This section of the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is an easy walk with a well formed track the entire way (you can see our version on the map below). There are a couple of short uphill sections, but nothing dramatic.
It will take around two hours at a very leisurely pace, unless you can’t resist stopping at the seal colony for an extended period of time!
As this is our favourite part of the walk, but not a set route in its own right, there isn’t any signposting but it’s very easy to follow. There are just two turns to be aware of which we’ll note below.
Starting the walk at Point Kean
The walk begins at Point Kean, but rather than turning onto the official Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway (you’ll use that for the return journey), you’ll instead head along the rocky beach to meet the seals.
From the car park head right and follow the rocky beach - some sections will be narrower at high tide, but should still be passable.
Continue all the way round until you reach the seals (there could be seals along the way but the majority are around 600m from the car park).
You can’t miss the seals, most of them will be lazing on the rocks behind the rope which is there to protect the nesting seabirds.
The general rule is that you should stay a minimum of 10m away from the seals, but often they have other ideas and you’ll find them lolling along the path!
Watch out for the ones that hide in the bushes and then bark as you pass by (we even saw one hiding in a tiny cave)!
You could easily spend hours watching all their antics, so factor in some extra time to the walk if you think you’ll be here for a while.
Continuing around the bays
You’ll pass the main seal colony as you work your way around the bays, but there are still plenty of seals to be enjoyed further along the track - and these see far fewer visitors.
The path is a little pebbly, but it’s flat and easy to follow. The limestone cliffs add a dramatic edge to the setting and the water sparkles and almost looks tropical on a sunny day.
After 1.7km you’ll come to a sign which says that the walking track is no longer maintained.
At this point you can either head straight up the staircase to the right to continue the walk, or head a little further along to the quietest bay of them all.
The reality is that it may be unmaintained but the path to the final bay is as good as the one up to this point. If you do this section it does require going back on yourself so it’s not a must do, but you’ll see more seals and reach a very quiet beach that we nicknamed ‘Cormorant Bay’.
It’s 550m each way if you do want to add it on and it’s a nice place to sit and relax for a while.
On to South Bay
Regardless of whether you choose to head to the final bay or not, you’ll then walk up the staircases on the right to get to South Bay.
There a several stairs to climb but you are rewarded with some great cliff top views looking back on where you have just walked.
At the top you’ll turn left and pass the Whalers Bay viewpoint overlooking the coast.
The path then takes you over a stile and into a field. There are a few cows, but they completely ignore you, which is a relief because I’ve never quite trusted them after being chased by a herd once.
The field might sound nondescript, but it’s probably one of the most beautiful fields in the country.
It’s backdrop is the spectacular snow-capped mountains of the Kaikoura Range to the right and the glorious ocean directly ahead. It’s truly beautiful.
After passing through the field you’ll hit the paved walkway which winds its way down the hill for 900m towards South Bay. You’ll pass another great viewpoint along the way.
There are toilets and drinking water here if you need, as well as lots of information boards about Kaikoura’s whaling history.
Completing the circuit to Point Kean
After taking a break at South Bay you’ll then retrace your steps for 1.6km back through the field and to the Whalers Bay viewpoint that you came to at the top of the staircases.
The first bit is uphill but then it flattens and is leisurely all the way to the end of the trail.
Instead of heading back down to the beach you’ll follow the path straight on along the cliff tops. The views are wonderful with the mountains on your left and the ocean on your right.
The path is well formed and very easy, it’s a relaxing stroll which allows you to really soak up all those views.
Roughly 1.6km after leaving Whalers Bay Lookout, you’ll come to Point Kean Viewpoint, you can’t really see the seals from here but there are plenty of seabirds. From the viewpoint the track winds downhill on a paved path directly to the Point Kean car park.
All in all, although there is a little backtracking on our version of this walk we much prefer it to spending a lot of time walking beside the road. It also takes you directly along the pretty bays which the main Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway does not.
Essential information about the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway
Getting there
Assuming you are planning to walk our version, the track starts and ends at the Point Kean car park, which is just under a 10 minute drive from the town centre. If you were doing the full walkway you would start in town.
The weather
Almost all of the walk is exposed to the elements so you’ll feel the full brunt of the sun and wind and you’ll want to plan accordingly. You can fill your water bottle at South Bay so you won’t need to carry as much with you from the start.
Where to stay in Kaikoura
Kaikōura Peaks Boutique Motel
We stayed at Kaikoura Peaks Motel and it was one of the best of our trip. It’s pretty different to your average motel with care taken in decorating and adding homely touches. There’s also a well equipped kitchen with hob (2 rings) and a small oven (the plug in kind). You can see the mountains from the window and the wifi worked really well. It’s right in town but very quiet.
We had two small niggles which wouldn’t stop us staying again, the water pressure on full heat wasn’t amazing and the sinks didn’t drain perfectly but overall we were really happy!
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