Best in a marine environment / Overall winner
WINNER Whale Watch Kaikoura, New Zealand
How the whales brought a town back to life From humble beginnings, a 100 per cent Maori-owned business has rejuvenated a community and become a cornerstone of sustainable tourism in New Zealand
unemployment was the result in Kaikoura along with crime. Most local businesses were family-owned and didn’t offer jobs to local Maori that freely. Then a group of four local Maori families
A
giant sperm whale breaks
Back in the mid-1980s, Kaikoura, a small
came up with the idea of taking people
the surface of the ocean, its
town two and a half hours drive north
to watch whales as a means of creating
massive tail fin silhouetted
from Christchurch in New Zealand’s South
employment for local Maori. No financial
against a stunning backdrop
Island, was dying on its feet. The major
institute at the time would loan the group
of sea and sky. Seeing a whale up close
employer in the town was the railways and
any money, so they all had to mortgage
has got to be one of the most breathtaking
when they were privatised in 1987 many
their houses to get the capital to start the
sights anywhere on the planet.
people lost their jobs, tearing the heart out
business – at the beginning everyone worked
of the community.
for free because the company had no money.
For one Maori community in New Zealand, every sight of a whale is a
Kaikoura’s Maori community was
But in its very first year of operation the
celebration of one of the country’s most
especially hard hit. Nearly everyone
100 per cent Maori-owned Whale Watch
thrilling tourism success stories.
had worked on the railways. High
Kaikoura took out 3,000 clients.
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