Photo: Fyffe House Kaikoura

The Fyffe House is a charming colorful house in Kaikoura on the South Island of New Zealand.

The oldest house in Kaikoura in Canterbury, New Zealand is the Fyffe House located in a historic region on the South Island. The original part of the Fyffe House is a single storied wing which sits upon whale bone vertebrae foundations and was built by Robert Fyfe.Robert Fyfe passed away in 1854 and his cousin George took over building the rest of the Fyffe House in Kaikoura, New Zealand. The Fyffe House is built of native timbers with lath and plaster interior and mud and straw insulation. The southern end of the Fyffe House was completed in the 1860's and to this day it is still in its original condition. It is run by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and is open for the public to tour through.The site that the Fyffe House sits upon in Kaikoura has been in occupation for at least 700 years and early remains include a burial with a large Moa egg which have been found as well as some evidence of kumera gardens 300 to 400 years olds. ... continue below the picture...

... The Fyffe House is surrounded by historical buildings that were run by the Native people in the early centuries where the first whaling station was also built. The Southern Right Whale and the Humpback were soon depleted due to the whaling and eventually sheep farming and fishing became the way of life in Kaikoura, New Zealand.Fyffe House, Kaikoura, Canterbury, East Coast, South Island, New Zealand.