QUOTE FROM - The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts) 1906
KAIKOURA (from the Maori “kai,” food, and “koura,” crayfish) is the name of a well-known town and district in southern Marlborough. The district is noted for its pre-eminent advantages as a pastoral country, and the town is recognised as being one of the most picturesque and healthy spots in New Zealand. It is often referred to as the Scarborough (in England) of the colony. Kaikoura lies between the sea and the Seaward Kaikouras or Lookeron Mountains, and at the back of the town the peninsula rises abruptly for one hundred feet, and affords splendid sites for dwelling-houses. The mountains close to the township rise to a great height, and are covered with snow for about nine months in the year. The view on a fine day is worth going many miles to see, and but for the ocean in the foreground, the visitor might imagine he was sojourning in Switzerland. There is a bi-weekly coach service between Kaikoura and Blenheim, ninety-six miles north, and there is also a tri-weekly coach service between the township and Culverden, the terminus of the railway from Christchurch Owing to the treacherous nature of the bar, only small steamers can trade to Kaikoura from Lyttelton and Wellington, between which there is a weekly service.
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