Kaikoura Peninsula
| Kaikoura Peninsula | ||
 Kaikoura Peninsula as seen from Mt Fyffe |
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| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 42 ° 25 '24 " S , 173 ° 41' 46" O | |
| location | Northeast coast of the South Island , Canterbury Region , New Zealand | |
| Waters 1 | Pacific Ocean | |
| length | 3.3 km | |
| width | 2.4 km | |
The Kaikoura Peninsula is a peninsula in the northeast of the South Island of New Zealand . It extends 3 miles into the Pacific Ocean . The place Kaikoura is located on the north coast of the peninsula.
They have been inhabited by Māori for most of the past 1,000 years . They used these as a base for hunting the moas and for collecting crabs on the coast. According to a legend, the legendary hero Māui landed a huge fish from this peninsula , which became the North Island .
During the 19th century, Europeans set up whaling stations in the region . Today the whales that visit the coast off the peninsula are allowed to live and are used for whale watching . The whales visit the area as octopus and other deep-sea creatures are brought up from the depths of the Hikurangi Trench by a combination of currents and the steeply sloping seabed .