Kaikōura has a deep Māori history. In Māori tradition, the Kaikōura Peninsula is linked to Māui, who is said to have sat there while fishing up the North Island. Māori have lived in the area for centuries, drawn by its abundant seafood and natural resources. Ngāi Tahu have occupied the region since at least the 1600s, and many pā sites remain around the peninsula.
Europeans began settling in Kaikōura in the 1840s, when Robert Fyffe established a whaling station. The town grew around the whaling industry, and Fyffe House, built in 1842 on foundations made from whalebone, still stands today as one of Kaikōura’s most important historic buildings. As whale numbers declined, settlers turned increasingly to farming, shipping, fishing, and later tourism.
Through the 20th century, Kaikōura developed with new roads, railway connections, and growing visitor traffic. Tourism became especially important in the 1980s, when local Māori leaders helped establish whale watching as a major attraction. This transformed the town’s economy and helped make Kaikōura internationally known for marine wildlife experiences.
In 2016, Kaikōura was severely affected by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that damaged roads, railway lines, and coastal infrastructure. The surrounding land and seabed were uplifted by as much as two metres in places. After major recovery and repair work, Kaikōura reopened to visitors and remains one of New Zealand’s most distinctive coastal destinations.