From the owner: Wings Over Whales Kaikoura provide whale watching flights, scenic air tours and private aircraft…read morecharter. Our professional and experienced team deliver a friendly flying experience, where the comfort and safety of each passenger is paramount. Whale watching by aeroplane offers a unique perspective and the opportunity to view whales and dolphins in their natural environment. From the air passengers can experience the true magnitude of the world's largest mammal, the whale. These animals can reach an impressive 18 metres in length and weigh up to 60 tonne! Wings Over Whales Kaikoura operate high-winged aircraft, which allows each person their own window seat and optimal, unobstructed viewing.

The whales are nice, but the dolphins are stunning; superb!!…read more This is one of the primary attractions in town, and Whale Watch Kaikoura is (I believe) the only provider. As a tour provider, they are very very good; fabulous vessels, knowledgeable and pleasant crew, well organized. We only saw a couple whales, which was very cool, but the real attraction - which we did not expect - were the dolphins. Turns out there is a school of several hundred dolphins that reside in the area, and it's very common for them to come out to play. We were stunned to find ourselves boating among dozens and dozens of dolphins, all diving in and out of the water, performing their acrobatics. At any one point there were between 50-100 dolphins around us, and this went on for 15-20 minutes. We were not expecting this at all, and it by far exceeded our expectations. Highly, highly recommended when in Kaikoura!

Whale Watch Kaikoura is the premiere way to guarantee a whale sighting in the Whale Watching…read moreCapital of the World. The tickets for this three and a half hour sea excursion are $145 and begin with a 10 minute safety briefing before you board a 10 minute shuttle bus to the boats. There are bathrooms on the boat as well as in the visitors center, so all you nervous bladder folks can relax. Once on the boat, there are comfortable indoor seats that all offer great views of the Kaikoura coastline. You have to stay seated while the boat is in motion, but the energetic crew keeps you entertained with some facts about the sperm whales, what you should expect to see and how not to get sick on the boat (pay close attention to that part). The boat has 360 outdoor viewing areas including a second floor which allow you get some incredible shots of the whales while they catch their breath and digest their food. Make sure you bring some extra batteries for your camera and clear your iPhone of all photos because every angle is more breathtaking than the next. The crew is handy in that they have technology (sonar) to tell if the whales are still underwater or surfacing and have learned the pattern of the sperm whales so well that they can tell you when they are about to dive back down. On the way back to the dock you'll be shown some videos about the whales, ocean animals and the topography of the ocean floor below. I have been two times around the 12:15-12:45 slot and have seen multiple whales on both excursions. If you're lucky you may even get a visit from a pod of dusky dolphins (I did once). Wind and weather conditions will cancel the trip, so before the check the weather and call ahead before you make the trek to Kaikoura. There is a cafe with WiFi so you can eat before or after your trip with indoor and outdoor seating. The gift shop also sells lots of fun memorabilia to ensure you never forget your adventure with Whale Watch Kaikoura. I love this company and will continue to recommend them to anyone traveling to the South Island!

Ohau Point Lookout is a great place to stop. Imagine this - you'r driving down the road, a scenic…read morecoastal highway. Then, there's a sizeable parking lot on the side of the road. There's no buildings around, just the parking lot. You pull over, get out of the car and have a look out toward the ocean. Seals! Lots of them, and you're closer than you'd think you'd get to them. This is a great place to stop. You'll get a good view of the seals. They're far enough below you that people don't interfere with them, but they're close enough that you can get a pretty good look at them. This was a pleasant surprise, and the highlight of our day driving from Blenheim to Christchurch. If you are making that drive, do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes here. You'll be glad you did.

I'd read and heard about his overlook, but it sneaks up on you as you drive north from kaikoura…read more It's maybe 15 minutes north, there's a pretty long pull-out area on the coast side of the 1, but no real parking lot. A little further north is the lot for the walking trail. From the overlook you can look down at the seals on the rocks, including a bunch of pups. There are 2 overlooks spots looking down at 2 different sets of rocks. There's also giant seaweed in the ocean by the rocks and you can see the seals playing in that. You an see the seals from the road, and this can be a very quick stop to look or take a few pictures, then jump back in the car. There isn't anywhere to walk from this shoulder area, it doesn't link up with the waterfall walking trail.

We had a wonderful day with Sam Kuprus doing an out and back hike on the Routeburn Track. He was…read moredelightful and very knowledgeable! We are American and he taught us so much about the unique flora and fauna of NZ, discussed conservation and anti predation efforts. He also answered many questions we had about this beautiful and welcoming country. What an amazing and gorgeous forest walk, with epic waterfalls at the top, the azure waters of the Routeburn accompanying us most of the way!

Paula and Phil planned out a fantastic day of wine touring during our visit to Queenstown. We had…read morenever been to New Zealand prior to our trip and they did a wonderful job of recommending places to visit and eat and we took their advice on several stops. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our day with them!! Thanks again from the guys from Austin, Texas!!