Kaikoura Ranges

The Kaikoura Ranges are two parallel ranges of mountains located in the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand. The two ranges are visible from a great distance, including from the southern coast of the North Island.

Description

Formed along New Zealand's Marlborough Fault System, they can be seen as the northernmost extension of the Southern Alps in the South Island. Named the Looker-on mountains, by Captain James Cook, they take their name from the town of Kaikoura at the southern extreme of the more eastern range, the Seaward Kaikouras. This range rises straight from (and dominates) the coast to the north of the town, and reaches its highest point with the 2,608-metre (8,556 ft) Mount Manakau.

The long straight river valley of the Clarence River separate the Seaward Kaikouras from the longer and loftier Inland Kaikouras. This latter range contains the highest peak in the ranges, the 2,885-metre (9,465 ft) Tapuae-o-Uenuku, the translation from the Maori of which is the poetic "Footprint of the rainbow". Beyond the Inland Kaikouras is the valley of the Awatere River, which runs parallel to that of the Clarence. The climate is characterised by a dry cold winter.

Kaikoura

Kaikoura /kaɪˈkɔːrə/ (Māori: Te Ahi Kaikōura a Tama ki te Rangi) is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1, 180 km north of Christchurch.

Kaikoura became the first local authority in the Southern Hemisphere to achieve recognition by the EarthCheck Community Standard.

At the time of the 2013 census, the permanent resident population was 1,971, a 9.3% decrease since the 2006 census. The town is the governmental seat of the territorial authority of the Kaikoura District, which is politically a part of the Canterbury Region. The District has a land area of 2,046.41 km² (790.12 sq mi) and a 2013 census population of 3,552 inhabitants.

Geography

The Kaikoura Peninsula extends into the sea south of the town, and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine life from the depths of the nearby Hikurangi Trench. The town owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre for the whaling industry. The name Kaikoura means 'meal of crayfish' (kai - food/meal, kōura - crayfish) and the crayfish industry still plays a role in the economy of the region. However Kaikoura has now become a popular tourist destination, mainly for whale watching (the sperm whale watching is perhaps the best and most developed in the world) and swimming with or near dolphins. There is also a large and readily observed colony of southern fur seals at the eastern edge of the town. At low tide, better viewing of the seals can be had as the ocean gives way to a rocky base which is easily navigable by foot for quite some distance.

Kaikōura (New Zealand electorate)

Kaikōura (or Kaikoura before 2008) is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning a single MP to the House of Representatives of New Zealand. The current MP for Kaikōura is Stuart Smith of the National Party, who won the 2014 election.

Population centres

The Kaikōura electorate covers the north-eastern South Island, from Cook Strait in the north to the Ashley River in the south. At over 21,000 km² (8,100 sq mi), it is New Zealand's fourth-largest general electorate by area. Its main towns are Blenheim and Kaikoura; other towns include Picton, Havelock, Cheviot, Hanmer Springs, Culverden, Amberley and Ashley. The electorate boundaries were not changed in either the 2007 or 2013/14 boundary reviews.

History

Kaikōura is one of the original 60 electorates drawn ahead of the change to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting in 1996. It was made up by merging all of the old Marlborough seat with a large portion of Rangiora. Like the two electorates it replaced, Kaikōura is a safe seat for the National Party, returning a National MP at every election since it was created.