Frequently Asked Questions

We are approximately 11km north of the Kaikōura town itself, which is about an 8-10 minute drive.

We are only 2hours and 35 minutes from the city of Ō-Tautahi / Christchurch by car. There are buses available also that come back and forth from Christchurch each day.

Click on the Intercity Bus link here to check out the timetable.

We are only about 1hour and 55 minutes drive to Waitohi / Picton.

There are daily buses also available you can check out here at Intercity.

Please keep in mind, you are only about 90 minutes from the small city of Blenheim too.

Both booking and catching the ferry across is very easy as long as you book early during the summer season.

Check out The Bluebridge Ferries here!

Check out The Interislander Ferries here!

Yes, we are dog friendly, as long as your dog stays outside and off the decks. We have warm kennels for them to sleep in, but most of our visitors' dogs seem to have beds set up in their cars. 

There are a few sheep and a couple of resident and very friendly kunekune pigs on our property too, so we just need to make sure your kurī (dog) is well behaved around stock.

No doubt they will love the beach across the road and the river too. 

If you are staying the night in a cabin, simply follow the signs and you can park right outside your chosen cabin.

If you are here for an event, we have large parking spaces for your vehicles that will also be sign posted.

By all means, we have accommodation that is child friendly as we are trying to encourage families to get away together.

The natural environment here is powerful with the ocean, streams and river close by, so it's imperative you watch your children, but they will love the wide open spaces and playground too.

In relation to events, it's totally up to you, some choose to have them stay for the entire social function (curfew of 11.30pm finish), others, prefer to have a babysitter or family member take them away to bed a little earlier in the evening.

For sure, whether you decide to use our catering company FUSH or not, you can have food here.

We have a walk-in chiller you can utilise, and also a cool, dark wine cellar room for you to enjoy.

If it's wild meat you prefer, we may be able to help you with pork, venison, goat, and mutton or lamb also, which we can leave in the chiller for you.

In order to respect our neighbours, the environment, and the creatures that live here, we ask that departure of your guests takes place at 11.30pm.

During the warmer months of the year, fire bans are in place. Weather dependant, it may be ok to light a fire on the beach during winter, but this depends on the Kaikōura District Council rules at that point in time.

If any fires are lit, it is imperative they are fully extinguished before abandoning them as the area is frequented by Te Haukaitakata (strong nor' west winds) which can spread the smallest fire ember onto dry grass and surrounding properties in the blink of an eye.

We have outdoor fire braziers we can light for your function should you wish to have them lit. Each brazier has a hose within close vicinity, and all fires are extinguished before bed with the hose. We are happy to extinguish these for you.

If we are not on site, we ask that you check with us before lighting any fires outside.

If your cabin is equipped with an inside fire for heating, you may use it to keep warm at anytime.

Depending on what side of Kaikōura you are coming from - north or south, we can arrange to meet with you at our base in Mangāmāunu - Kaikōura, if you're coming from the north, or at Ō-Tama-Kura (near Goose Bay), south of Kaikōura if you're coming from the south and that's easier for you.

If you're staying the night with us, sometimes it's easier to come through to Mangāmāunu, get set up and then travel as one group, but that depends also on the time of the year, the weather, and your holiday plans.

Regardless, we'll do our best to make it work whilst giving ourselves the best opportunity to achieve a positive outcome on both land and sea.

Bring enough water and food to last a day - person dependant as quantities can vary - I will have extra should we need more.

Bring appropriate footwear, hiking, or hunting boots preferred.

Bring a headlamp with spare batteries, or two headlamps if they are rechargeable. 

Bring wet weather gear, and wear warm but thin layers such as thermal wear. Bring a hat suited to the time of year and weather, i.e. a beanie for the winter and a sun hat for the summer.

Any medical requirements you may need such as asthma puffers, epi-pens, anti-histamines, sunblock, or insect spray should be carried with you.

I will carry provisions also including a knife, extra lights, a gun possibly (depending on the outing), a satellite texter and an EPIRB.  

Only licensed firearms holders are allowed to bring with them and use a firearm should this be agreed on, and the opportunity present itself.

Depending on your ability, you may choose to head out on your own or with us for an enjoyable guided free dive or snorkel.

Depending on the local seafood gathering rules at that time, we can choose to collect kaimoana (seafood), or simply look at it and explore.

If you're new to it all but have a snorkel, goggles, flippers, and a wetsuit, bring them with you and we'll hold your hand the entire way.

If you don't have these provisions, let us know and we'll do our best to accommodate you, or point you in the right direction for hiring - usually the wetsuit is the item of gear that needs hiring most due to our differing body shapes and sizes.

What does and doesn't get hired can also come down to the size and age of your group. We ensure numbers aren't to large for safety reasons, and prefer a ratio of 1 of us to 2 of you maximum.