Kaikoura: Llama Trek Bay Beaches & Seal Colony Walk

4.99

(150 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed was the soft snuffling sound — my llama, Tahi, nosing around for a snack while we waited near the edge of Kaikoura Bay. The air had that salty bite you get on New Zealand’s coastlines, and I could hear gulls somewhere behind me. Our guide, Mike, handed me the lead rope and grinned like he knew what was coming. “You’ll want to keep an eye on him if you’ve got snacks in your bag,” he said. I didn’t expect to feel nervous about walking with a llama, but there it was.

We started along the boardwalk, just me and Tahi (well, plus everyone else), heading out toward the beaches. The mountains were right there — not far off in the clouds — and every so often Tahi would pause to sniff at something or just stare at the ocean like he was thinking deep thoughts. Mike told us stories about Kaikoura’s 2016 earthquake as we walked, pointing out cracks in the rocks that still haven’t quite healed. It made everything feel more alive somehow. At one point we stopped to watch a group of seals sprawled on sun-warmed stones; they barely moved except for a lazy flipper now and then.

I kept expecting my llama trek to be more about the scenery (which is wild enough), but honestly? It was mostly about figuring out this gentle animal at my side. Sometimes Tahi would nudge my elbow or stop dead until I coaxed him forward — stubborn but not mean about it. There was this odd moment where I realized I’d started talking to him without thinking. Not sure if anyone else noticed.

We ended up back near where we started, sand stuck to my boots and a bit of sea wind in my hair. There was hot tea waiting (and cake — surprisingly good). Someone’s kid tried to feed their llama a bit of icing and got a big sniff in return. I still think about that slow walk along the water with Tahi beside me — not fast or dramatic, just quietly memorable in its own way.