Fyffe House

Its history is more interesting than the physical building. It was built by a Scottish whaler who used whale vertebrae as its foundation.

It was an amazing piece of history. It was just a look back at the wee towns past and where it came from. Make time to go and have a look around at the Fyffe House.

Nice tourist attraction, not too busy. Great view of the ocean and surroundings and some interesting history about the place. A few parking spots available there but you may have to walk a bit if it's busy.

Shelley is a real asset to Fyffe House, we got a wonderful informative talk before walking around the house that gave us a much deeper appreciation for what we were seeing. It was lovely to be able to visit as last time we were in Kaikoura the house was under repair, seeing the sympathetic restoration was a real treat.

Nice piece of history with original house from 1844, and clever lasting built with whale skeleton. Worthwhile to go to understand some of the whaler history.

A great history in the settlement of Kaikoura from early whaling days. Whale bone used as foundations for the house still there.

Great visit here on Waitangi day with friends.It was free admission that day normally there is a charge.The staff were very welcoming knowledgeable and friendlyWe loved the history of the house and enjoyed playing a few outdoor games from our childhood which can be easily played today.

This is one of the hidden gems of New Zealand. I must warn that it is not a location for somebody who is looking for a cookie cutter experience. This is a genuine whale hunter house. Though the hunting has stopped in 1964, the house still feels as if the owners has never left it. You will learn an abundance of fascinating stories, such as the foundation being made of actual whale bones, which you can see and touch! As if the house itself wasn’t a great reason to visit it, the lady who runs the place has THE best souvenir shop in the region. Everything is ocean themed, great quality and unbeatable price. We sometimes stop at Kaikoura just to get souvenirs from that shop.

This is a wonderful historical building well preserved and the stories given by Ann bring to life the history of whaling and Robert Fyffe who had this built on whale vertebrae. A must visit to hear the story of early life and whaling in Kaikoura.

I was so glad we decided to check this place out. Shelley is a real gem and told us much about the house and its history before we walked through on our own. After the commentary from Shelley we knew exactly what we were looking at which was very helpful. The whaling industry put Kaikoura on the map so while you are visiting you should pop in and learn a little about the history of where it all started.