Kaikōura Peninsula, Coastal peninsula in Kaikōura District, New Zealand

Kaikōura Peninsula is a landform that extends about 5 kilometers into the Pacific Ocean, marked by limestone cliffs and wave-cut platforms around its perimeter. The coastline reveals different geological formations shaped by ongoing erosion and movement.

Māori settled the peninsula for about 1000 years, using it as a base for moa hunting and crayfish harvesting; fortified terraces remain visible in lidar imagery. European whaling stations were established in the 19th century, and whaling ended in 1922. The 2016 Kaikōura earthquake uplifted the central peninsula, adding to earlier uplift events.

Māori oral tradition holds that the demigod Māui stood on this peninsula to fish up the North Island, called Te Ika a Māui (the fish of Māui), while the South Island is Te Waka a Māui (Māui's canoe). Māori have lived here for about 1,000 years, using the peninsula as a base for moa hunting and crayfish gathering. Fortified terraces on the high ground remain visible in lidar imagery.

Several walking tracks cross the peninsula and provide year-round access to observe marine wildlife and geological formations. The trails vary in length and difficulty, so it helps to bring a map or guide to find the best route for your fitness level.

The terraces on the peninsula are former wave-cut platforms, each cut at sea level and then lifted out of the sea before the next was formed; the oldest sits at the top and is about 110,000 years old. Some terraces carry sea stacks, conical remnants of former hill slopes left by erosion.