Hiking & Hot Springs

We made a delicious home-cooked breakfast and packed a picnic lunch for our morning hike around the Kaikoura peninsula. The hike started at Archer’s beach on the eastern edge of the peninsula and worked its way up the steep bluffs, where we had a commanding view of the small city and its long shoreline.

From NZ Developed

Just to the north of the lookout was the site of a Maori pa, or fort, on the top of a steep, trenched hill. Although there aren’t any remnants of the wooden walls or fortifications, the dug-out steps and ditches that were a key pat of the fort’s defenses are still visible. From there, the track followed the ridge along the bluffs overlooking several bays and inlets, some with groups of seals stretching out to catch some rays.

From NZ Developed

The hike on the top of the ridge, like many in New Zealand, covered both state and private land; along the way, we dodged cow pies and crossed sheep fences.

From NZ Developed

From NZ Developed

Around the south side of the peninsula, we steadily descended into Kairkoura’s South Bay harbor -- I much preferred the approach by land than by sea, that’s for sure. Then, we crossed the isthmus through a scenic wooded path and headed back along Kaikoura’s eastern shore, stopping to admire the wooden sculptures dotting the beach. The two-hour-plus hike was just what we needed; a few days in the car and some touristy activities and we were ready to experience more of the New Zealand wilderness by foot.

From NZ Developed

Of course, as soon as we itched our hiking scratch, it was back into the car. But we didn’t head straight to Christchurch. We decided the night before to to a small detour to Hanmer Springs on the advice of our sea kayaking guide. Even though we only drove about ninety minutes out of the way, we were deep into the remote southern backcountry; we only passed a handful of cars, got no cell reception and wrapped the car around narrow mountain roads, with nothing but a few feet between the road and steep cliffs.

From NZ Developed

Thermal pools are the main attraction in Hanmer Springs. Our sore backs and thighs got some well-needed rest while we relaxed in pools of different temps and featured minerals. Definitely a worthy detour.

We arrived in Christchurch later that night, just in time for us to unpack the car, open a bottle of wine, and plan the next couple of days before heading to bed early, exhausted from the long day of traveling. All of our activities in Christchurch will be within walking distance, so we’ll leave the car parked for the whole next day, thankfully. Tomorrow will also mark the halfway point of the trip -- still hard to believe we’ve done so much, yet have an incredible array of activities still planned.