Trouble in paradise: Seaside hotspot struggles as Covid bites
6 minutes to read
Kaikōura, the tourist mecca where towering mountains meet an ocean awash with whales and playful dolphins, was just recovering from the giant 2016 earthquake - and then Covid-19 struck. Herald journalists Kurt Bayer and George Heard report from a struggling seaside paradise.
Dark clouds lingered low over the Kaikōura ranges on the day the Tourism Minister came to town.
The Esplanade – the main drag – was gloomy on an eerie still day, where the squawk of seagulls hung sharply in the air.
Empty car parks, boarded-up cafes and shops.
North-island
New-zealand-general
New-zealand
South-island
New-south-wales
Australia
Wellington
The-esplanade
Western-australia
Invercargill
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire