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Havelock
Kaikoura
New Zealand's Ultimate Year Round Marine Experience
Freephone 0800 655 121
www.whalewatch.co.nz
HAVELOCK
Havelock, the Greenshell
Mussel capital of the world and
home to Marlborough's iconic
Greenshell Mussel Cruise.
But ensure that you plan
enough time to take in the
Greenshell Mussel Cruise,
a totally unique experience
departing each day at 1.30pm
for an afternoon cruise.
On board one of Marlborough
Travel's huge launches you will
see the sights of the Sounds,
learn about the pioneering
families who first settled here
and visit a working Mussel
Farm. While at the farm your
experienced skipper will explain
why this delicacy grows so well
and get to taste the freshest
steamed mussels matched
to a glass of award winning
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
The perfect wine and food
match in a beautiful part of
Marlborough.
Greenshell Mussel Cruise, Marlborough Travel.
KAIKOURA
KAIKOURA lies almost
midway between Picton and
Christchurch. The town is in
the `sunbelt' of New Zealand,
191km south-east of Blenheim,
and can boast plenty of
sunshine hours a year. Kaikoura
is scenically superb and rich in
historical mythology.
The name Kaikoura means
`meal of crayfish' and was given
to the area by a Maori chief
called Tamatea. According to
legend, he found the crayfish
so good that he stopped here
to eat some while pursuing
his runaway wives who were
eventually transformed into
greenstone in Westland.
Maoridom regards the area as a
place of historical significance.
It was here that the demi-god
Maui fished up the North Island
from the sea. The earliest Maori
ancestors of the South Island
tribes are also said to have
arrived here on the back of a
huge whale. Today, you are still
likely to see huge sperm whales,
the largest of all toothed
whales.
Kaikoura has an abundance of
marine life due to the Kaikoura
canyon (part of the Hikarangi
Trench) which comes to within
700m of the Kaikoura coastline
and at its deepest point is
1650m.