Not even after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck near Kaikoura in 2016 and the area endured “one of the most complex earthquakes ever recorded” and the “biggest local-source tsunami recorded in New Zealand since 1947”. For weeks, the town was completely cut off with large sections of the highway and railway buried under one million cubic metres of rock and other debris.

The only way in and out were military convoys and a couple of flights.

With the severity of the damage, it was a long time before things got back to normal. Repairs of the highway north of Kaikoura took more than a year, passenger service on the railroad resumed two years after the incident. Nowadays, the only reminder of the huge damage from a visitor’s perspective are long stretches of brand new highway.

So, on the surface, nothing much has changed really, yet my appreciation of this region certainly did when we visited this time around.

From Marlborough, we drove south on SH1, down a beautiful stretch of quiet two-lane highway right on the sea. Next to the road, the Coastal Pacific railway tracks also followed every turn and twist of the shoreline. Two lines tracing the contours of the rugged Pacific coast in the little space where the Seaward Kaikoura Range runs down to a string of remote beaches and the sparkling ocean. After every turn in the road, there’s more barren rock face rising to the right, more of the same ocean and long views to a far-off horizon on the left. We cruised along and I lost track of time and distance.

Until we saw fur seals – colossal bulls and cows sprawled out in the sun and overly energetic pups – lazing, waddling, and rollicking around on the rocks at Ohau Point. The roadside car park and lookout at Ohau Point have recently reopened and arguably offer one of the country’s most accessible observation platforms to watch wild seal pups splashing about in shallow rock pools. At first glance, a car park by the highway holds little promise of an enriching wildlife experience, but as soon as we hopped out of the car, we were a part of this adventure playground for seals. The wind, the sound of waves breaking gently on the rocky outcrops, the barks and grunts of the seals, and screeching seagulls drowned out the passing traffic.

A few days later, in rural Hurunui District, south of Kaikoura, it felt as if we are the only visitors. This isn’t exactly a tourism hotspot in a normal year and sees few domestic and even fewer international guests. But with the borders closed and kids back to school, the small, quaint townships and wild beaches like Greta Valley, Motunau Beach, Gore Bay, and Cheviot were deserted. Only two places in the district were slightly busier. One was the popular Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa in Hanmer Springs village, 90min from Christchurch. The other, the North Canterbury wine region centred around Waipara Valley, 45 minutes north of Christchurch, that appeals with dozens of vineyards, cellar doors, and winery restaurants.

Further south, tiny Waimakariri District is more off the beaten track still. It generates 60% of Hurunui’s visitor spend, an estimated $93m in 2019, which is expected to have dropped to $70m in 2020 and decline even further with the impact of Covid-19. Only 4% of that revenue is spent on accommodation. It seems those who stray here on a day trip, pass right through on Inland Scenic Route 72. There really is too much competition of beautiful places in New Zealand and I can see why Waimakariri might not make it into a 3-week New Zealand itinerary. For those with a little more time however, there’s great hiking and beautiful mountain scenery to discover here, in the Canterbury foothills forests on the Mt Grey, Mt Richardson, and Mt Oxford tracks.