Fyffe House, Kaikoura 7300, Canterbury Region, New Zealand
In a stunning seaside setting, Fyffe House is Kaikoura’s oldest surviving building and the last remnant of a pioneer whaling station established in 1842.
Its story starts with Māori, the first inhabitants of Kaikoura, drawn by ocean bounty including kaimoana (seafood) and seabirds. In the early 1840s, Scotsman Robert Fyfe arrived with four whaleboats to chase tohorā, the mighty southern right whale. Their oil would light the homes of Europe, far away.
Standing pretty in pink in a proud location on Kaikoura’s peninsula, Fyffe House is all that is left of the once-busy Waiopuka whaling station. Erected in 1844, it is a good example of a wooden colonial cottage, complete with character furniture, attic rooms, and various modifications typical of the times in which people made the most of what they had.
Epic New Zealand Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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