New drama Friends Like Her, by Sarah-Kate Lynch, brings Kaikōura to the world

Friends Like Her, shot in Kaikōura, was written by Sarah-Kate Lynch. Photo / Matt Klitscher

I’m no stranger to the South Island portion of State Highway 1, having driven between Queenstown, Wellington and Auckland countless times, but it wasn’t until late 2017 that I turned off the highway and into Kaikōura: a small Kiwi town that punches well above its weight.

And back then, it had taken more than its fair share of hits - I was there to write about the reopening of said highway after the earthquake on November 14, 2016 cut off the seaside community from the rest of the country for more than a year.

The first thing that struck me was the resilience of the locals. Many were still understandably traumatised by the 7.8-magnitude quake that struck just before midnight while most of them were sleeping, but the community nevertheless pulled together in the days, weeks and months afterwards, and an optimistic “business as usual” spirit was buzzing in the crisp, fresh, clean beautiful air.

The first thing I did was swim with dolphins. It was only 17C, which is a disagreeable temperature for a fairweather swimmer, but I was encouraged to slip into my Dolphin Encounter wetsuit just in case I changed my mind when we got out to sea. (“Slipping” is NOT how you get into a wetsuit, as it turns out.) And when our boat was surrounded by, oh, I think it was 150 dolphins, I couldn’t get in the water quickly enough. It was one of the most life-enhancing experiences I have ever had. And I’ve done it again since. Twice.

I watched whales, both from the sea with Whale Watch Kaikōura and from a chopper with South Pacific Helicopters. I ate crayfish, more than you would think one person could handle, from a collection of unique roadside eateries. I went on a quad bike adventure to the most beautiful spot - possibly in the world - with a spirited local. I dined like a queen at the beautiful Hāpuku Lodge. I had a beer (and more crayfish) in the sun outside the Pier Hotel, looking back over to the town. I walked the peninsula that I didn’t even know until then Kaikōura was on - and with every step I kicked myself for ignoring this stunning North Canterbury gem for so long.

Tess Haubrich and Morgana O'Reilly on location in Kaikōura filming the new drama Friends Like Her, written by Sarah-Kate Lynch. Photo / Matt Klitscher

I vowed that day to bring Kaikōura to the world - and that was the beginning of my TV show, Friends Like Her. I had fragments of a story buzzing around in my head but they needed a home to live in, a home that had survived a complex sequence of ruptures, and this was it. Once I had that, Great Southern TV came on board to produce it and Warner Bros. Discovery to broadcast it on Three.

Cut to April 2023 and I’m back with the cast and crew of 50, having written six episodes of a story about two BFFs with a dark secret trying to overcome the dangerous rumblings lurking below life’s surface.

I’d been back to Kaikōura several times in between. On holiday - arriving and leaving by train on the Coastal Pacific scenic service between Picton and Christchurch, which runs in the summer and is an absolute must if you can manage it - and then again to recce the town and its surroundings for the upcoming shoot, where I still managed to squeeze in a gin tasting at Mt Fyffe Distillery and an unforgettable supper club night at Hāpuku Kitchen.

We were there for five weeks in all shooting Friends Like Her, and watching our cast and crew members, many of whom had not been to Kaikōura before, fall in love with the town the same way I had was just the mayo on the crayfish.

Kaikōura, a small Kiwi town, was beautifully revived after being cut off by an earthquake in 2016. It's now the setting for Friends Like Her, starring Tess Haubrich and Morgana O'Reilly. Photo / Matt Klitscher

And those resilient locals, who’d weathered yet another horrific storm - Covid - since I last saw them could not have welcomed us more warmly. Need a dinghy? Someone will drop one around in an hour. Want some earthmoving vehicles as a backdrop? We’ll see you at 7am tomorrow. Extras for a tangi scene? The local iwi added so much richness and aroha to the shoot, even providing at least one spine-tingling star turn. We descended on streets, beaches, carparks, playgrounds and took over people’s homes and businesses, translating their world into our world.

And when I spoke to a community gathering just before we pulled out - most of us reluctantly - they had nothing but gratitude for the boost to their economy, the excitement of having us in town, and the professionalism of our merry band of Kaikōura fanboys and fangirls.

I hope everyone who sees Friends Like Her loves this beautiful part of our world as much as we did. And I hope there’s a second series so I can go back and do it all again.

Writer Sarah-Kate Lynch on the set of Friends Like Her in Kaikōura. Photo / Matt Klitscher

Friends Like Her premieres on Three and Three Now from Monday, April 15.