Kaikoura (New Zealand): The concurrence of Māori values, governance and economic need

Abstract

This chapter traces the history of human settlement in Kaikoura, focusing in particular on its origins as an important centre of Māori settlement (c. 950-1130 AD) and livelihood, subsequent European settlement (from the 1830s AD) to a world-class tourism destination based on whale-watching. Historical patterns of settlement, (indigenous) Māori-Pakeha (settler) relations, the early use of whales for commercial trade, subsequent periods of resource extraction and agricultural cycles of growth and decline establish the historical context of tourism development. Contemporary tourism development is, however, primarily based on desperate local economic conditions brought about by restructuring of the New Zealand economy in the mid-1980s.