Kaikōura Discovery Trail: The Stories Behind the Trail

Title: Railway Earthquake Monument
Type: Memorial Sculpture
Location: Kaikōura Railway Station
Commissioned by: KiwiRail
Created by: Ben Foster Sculpture
Contact details for artist:https://benfostersculpture.com/

Twisted railway track salvaged from the destruction of the November 2016 Kaikōura earthquake has been transformed into a powerful memorial to recovery, resilience and reconnection.

Commissioned by KiwiRail and created by Kaikōura artist Ben Foster, the sculpture incorporates pieces of damaged track recovered from Iron Gate, north of Kaikōura – an area Foster regularly surfed before the earthquake. Place names from along this section of the railway are incorporated into the work, connecting the sculpture to the communities and landscape through which the Main North Line travels.

The monument recognises the extraordinary effort of around 1,500 people involved in rebuilding the railway following the earthquake. The massive recovery operation worked to reconnect Kaikōura and other communities along the coast after landslides and ground movement caused extensive damage to the road and rail corridor.

The sculpture was officially unveiled by Kaikōura Mayor Winston Gray on 16 September 2017, when the first freight train travelled through Kaikōura following the earthquake.

Located at Kaikōura Railway Station, also home to Whale Watch Kaikōura, the sculpture is both a lasting reminder of the immense impact of the earthquake and a tribute to the people who worked to reconnect the coast.

Title: Symbolic Gateway Mural
Type: Mural
Location: West End
Commissioned by: NCTIR
Designed in collaboration with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura
Artist: Brett Pettit
Contact details for artist:https://www.bmpettit.com/

The town's West End Rail Bridge’s colourful murals designed in collaboration with local artist, Brett Pettit, tell the story of early Kaikōura settlement.

The northern pier under the rail bridge tells the story of Rakihouia who came from Hawaiki on the canoe, Uruao. The southern pier tells the story of Rakihouia’s wife, Tapuiti. The couple were among the first to settle in the Kaikōura district with the artwork forming a symbolic gateway into the town centre.

These colourful concepts were designed in collaboration with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and NCTIR (North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure & Rebuild) as part of the Cultural Artwork Package you see up and down the Kaikōura Coastline.

Source: kaikoura.co.nz & Stunning cultural artwork

Title: Kekeno – Reflect and Protect
Type: Sculpture
Location: Kaikōura Amphitheatre
Artist: Ben Foster
Contact details for artist: https://benfostersculpture.com/

Kekeno follows Foster’s exploration of local wildlife and the geographical setting of her home in Kaikōura, a global marine mammal hotspot. Foster’s inspiration and enquiry stem from both a close connection to Kaikōura’s marine environment and a deep concern for indigenous species. She translates the fur seal form through a sculptural language reminiscent of the faceted, icy mountain peaks that create Kaikōura’s dramatic backdrop. The work brings together the iconic pose of the kekeno and the jagged forms of the Seaward Kaikōura Ranges. Through its highly polished, fragmented surface, viewers are encouraged to see themselves as an integral part of nature, with the reflective finish blurring the boundary between the natural and the human-made.

Kekeno were once hunted extensively for their pelts, driving the species to the brink of extinction. Historic demand for sealskins resulted in a dramatic population crash and the severe depletion of colonies throughout New Zealand. Only a few thousand individuals survived in remote locations, making fur seals functionally extinct across much of their former range.

Before human arrival, an estimated 2 to 3 million fur seals inhabited New Zealand’s coastline. Since receiving legal protection in 1978, the species has made a remarkable recovery, with the national population now estimated at more than 200,000 individuals. Although fur seals have successfully recolonised many mainland areas, they remain well below their original numbers. Today’s population represents only around 5 to 10 percent of pre-human levels, meaning the species is still on a long journey of recovery.

The first fur seal returned to Kaikōura in the 1960s. Today, the region is once again home to thriving seal colonies. Fur seals hold special significance in Kaikōura and stand as a reminder of both the area's rich biodiversity and the importance of wildlife conservation.

While fur seals are no longer on the brink of extinction, they continue to face a range of human-related threats. These include accidental capture and drowning in trawl and longline fisheries, pressure from declining fish stocks, climate change, entanglement in marine debris, dog attacks, disease, intentional harm, and human disturbance.

In Kaikōura, fur seals are an important visitor attraction. Unfortunately, resting, birthing, and nursing seals can experience significant disturbance from human activity. In recent years, local colonies have experienced periods of decline associated with high mortality rates, particularly from starvation and outbreaks of disease such as canine distemper virus.

It is hoped that the presence of this work within the community will encourage people to celebrate Kaikōura’s iconic wildlife and recognise the importance of giving these remarkable animals the space they need to thrive.

Source: Ben Foster Sculpture | Fine Art Gallery

Title: Mountains to the Sea
Type: Mural
Location: Jade Kiwi, West End
Commissioned by: Jade Kiwi

In the heart of Kaikōura’s West End, the Jade Kiwi shop has commissioned a striking mural depicting a collection of Kaikōura imagery: the Seaward Kaikōura Range, coastline and surf, dolphins, kōwhai and other native floral motifs, woven together with Māori-inspired patterning.

An artwork that adds vibrancy to the streetscape while reflecting the community’s deep connection to the surrounding marine environment. Dolphins are a familiar and much-loved presence in local waters, and their movement, energy, and grace are symbolic of the natural character that defines Kaikōura. The mural brings this coastal identity into the urban space, offering both residents and visitors a visual reminder of the ocean’s constant presence in daily life.

Beyond their beauty, dolphins hold significant cultural, environmental, and economic importance for Kaikōura. They are central to the town’s international reputation as a marine wildlife destination and play a key role in tourism, while also representing the community’s commitment to environmental stewardship. For many, dolphins embody a sense of guardianship and connection to the sea, reinforcing the responsibility to protect these ecosystems. In this way, the mural is more than decorative—it is a meaningful expression of place, storytelling, and pride in Kaikōura’s unique relationship with the ocean.

Title: Kaikōura Playcentre Cultural Garden
Type: Mural / Cultural Art & Heritage
Location: Kaikōura Playcentre, Esplanade
Commissioned by: Kaikōura Playcentre
Designed in collaboration with the Kaikōura Playcentre, with cultural advice from Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura
Mural artists: Mary and Greg Ashwell – Atawera Art
Whares: Designed and built by LMC Building

The colourful mural and two small whare at Kaikōura Playcentre tell a story that reaches much further back than the Playcentre itself.

When the former Kaikōura Primary School dental clinic was removed and the site excavated, archaeological investigations uncovered old hāngī pits and a greenstone adze. The discovery inspired the Playcentre community to recognise and celebrate the Māori heritage of the site as part of the development of its new grounds and cultural garden.

Local artists Mary and Greg Ashwell of Atawera Art created the large mural to express Kaikōura Playcentre’s relationship with the cultural, historical and environmental elements of Kaikōura. The work went on to win 1st Place for Best Professional Mural in the 2021 Resene Mural Masterpieces competition.

The cultural garden was further developed with two child-sized whare, designed and built by LMC Building & Construction in collaboration with the Playcentre. Created as places for tamariki to play and learn, the whare reflect ideas of shelter, community and connection while recognising the heritage revealed beneath the site.

The wider project was many years in the making and involved Playcentre families, local businesses and volunteers, with advice from Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and support from Kaikōura Lions and Kaikōura District Council.

Together, the mural, whare and cultural garden create a place where tamariki can play while connecting with Kaikōura’s people, environment and the history beneath their feet.

Title: Family Carving
Type: Wooden Sculpture
Location: Esplanade
Artist: Gabriel Young

Carved from macrocarpa, this distinctive sculpture on Kaikōura’s Esplanade depicts a family gathered together, their forms emerging organically from the timber.

Created by Gabriel Young, the work gives new life to a familiar timber and brings art into Kaikōura’s coastal landscape. The natural form, grain and texture of the macrocarpa remain an important part of the finished sculpture, while the intertwined figures evoke ideas of family, togetherness and connection.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of sea and mountains, the carving has an almost dreamlike quality and has become an intriguing piece of public art along Kaikōura’s waterfront.

Title: Pou Tangaroa
Type: Pou / Cultural Artwork
Location: Fyffe House
Carved by: Makarini Solomon (Ngāti Kurī) in 2002

Standing prominently on the high ground behind Fyffe House, Pou Tangaroa is a marker of the deep cultural history of Wai o puka and the generations of people who have called this place home.

Wai o puka has been occupied by Māori for centuries and is an important cultural landscape. Waitaha were followed by Ngāti Māmoe and later Ngāti Kurī, who are mana whenua in Kaikōura today. Archaeological evidence found in the area reflects its long history of occupation and use.

Installed in 2002 and carved by Ngāti Kurī, the pou is named for Tangaroa, atua of the sea. Its commanding position overlooking the coast reflects the strong relationship between the people of this place and the ocean that has sustained generations through fishing, gathering kai and, in later years, whaling.

Pou Tangaroa also represents the dual heritage of the Wai o puka site. Below it stands Fyffe House, the oldest surviving building in Kaikōura and a remnant of the shore-whaling station established here in the 1840s. Remarkably, the earliest part of the house rests on foundations made from whale vertebrae.

Together, Pou Tangaroa, the surrounding landscape and Fyffe House tell a layered story of Wai o puka – connecting centuries of Māori occupation with Kaikōura's later whaling and European settlement history.