My name is Bel and I grew up with Kaikoura, mainly going for holidays in winter and autumn and sometimes spring. But it was ALWAYS cold when I went. I found looking in the rock pools was slightly more enjoyable in the months just before winter, where my hands wouldn’t completely freeze up. I used to take a lot of photos as a child and teen with my point and shoot camera. My sister and I made friends with the girls staying in the bach beside us, from Peel Forest, and we wrote letters to them. Penpals! We went fishing, walking and exploring every day. The rock pools were like another world to us.
Years later I took my own children back to Kaikoura to show them the joys of exploring. We have fires on the beach in winter, explore the forest and the seashore. Now they are older we go for walks and bikes. One of my daughters loves arts and crafts, which you will see in our studio/shop page. Also I have a son who is into photography including film photography. He is really good for such a young teen. Myself, I’m a professional photography currently based in Christchurch which is a 2 hour 20 minute drive from Kaikoura.
Why did we do Tide and Ridge? I wanted to share this wonderful place with others, even those who can’t quite get to Kaikoura yet. I often watch walking tours and nature videos on YouTube from places overseas and I wanted to do the same for Kaikoura for those who are interested. Tide and Ridge represents the sea and mountains which are so close together – this is a rarity in the world to have mountains so close to the sea and you only see it in a few countries. Our site is about photography, nature, relaxation, a place to stay (Flaxton Heights), and things to enjoy.
Flaxton Heights is our accommodation which is coming soon. It will be a lovely house overlooking the ocean and mountains and located only 300m from the Kaikoura Lookout, where you can get the most spectacular 360 degree views from the top of the hill. We are so excited to share the build progress with you and eventually share our house with you to be rented.
Please check out all the different pages on our website. There is so much to see.