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{Kaikoura}

By Blackaptur Photography

May 15^th, 2020

Kaikoura translates in the Māori language to a ‘meal of crayfish’. ‘Kai’ means ‘food’, ‘koura’ means ‘crayfish’

Kaikoura is a coastal town on the South Island of New Zealand. It’s known for its abundant wildlife - this is due to the Hikurangi Trench, also known as the Kaikoura Canyon, which lies just off the peninsula. This is a large ocean trough thats over 1.2km deep and means that there are large amounts of fishing and diving, a large whale and dolphin population, as well as a home for the New Zealand Fur seals.

...We came for the surf

The quality of the waves in and around Kaikoura is down to the Hikurangi Trench which allows swells to come straight out of deep water. The numerous spots catch swell from far up north to the big deep low pressure swells of the roaring forties.

Among the jewels found in this region are: The epic Kahutara right-hand point break that can handle big swells, and Mangamanu (Halfmoon Bay), a dreamy right-hand point break with National protected status. There are also a large number of memorable beach breaks, like swell-magnet Meatworks and the new town break.

Cirque Du Soleil

well, not quite but aerials of a similar scale

It’s the moments, spent with friends before and after the surf that maketh the time...

...Plenty of lips got snapped

The waves were absolutely firing upon arrival, and what seemed like a lull in the middle, towards evening - everything was falling back in palce once again.

#goldenhour begins...

Magical...

For a short time, as the sun sunk below the horizon on the opposite coast, the wind died, waves become glassy and the sky turned orange, as the turqoise waves kept rolling on in, the last of the soldiers still in the water...