NZ town named among world's top spots

Whale-watching is one of Kaikoura's drawcards. Photo / Supplied

A small New Zealand town has been named in a global travel magazine as one of the top spots in the world to spend Christmas.

Kaikoura was the only New Zealand place to feature in a Travel and Leisure list of locations for the festive season.

Kaikoura was chosen because of its picturesque setting, the attraction of sunbathing on Christmas Day, and for the opportunities to see a plethora of sealife along the rugged east coast of the South Island.

"The Kaikoura peninsula may not have reindeer, but it is teeming with sperm whales, fur seals, dusky dolphins, pilot whales, and albatross in Kaikoura Bay," the article said.

The magazine also praised the region's eco-tourism accommodation options, naming Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses as places to stay.

Kaikoura District Council's John MacPhail, who chairs the tourism development committee, said the article was unlikely to influence tourists' travel plans this summer, but it was a boost nonetheless.

"It's nice to be included and noted up there - we believe it's a great spot to be whether it's Christmas or not. It's recognised as an international destination, and that's quite a coup for us."

Mr MacPhail was not surprised by the accolade, as the region's whale-watching ventures had drawn global media attention for years.

He said Kaikoura had the strong marketing angle of both a majestic, snow-tipped mountain range and a crystal-blue coastline full of wildlife.

Meanwhile, Britain's Sunday Times travel editor, Ed Grenby, said New Zealand "didn't even exist" as a travel destination 10 years ago.

"Certainly, nobody ever actually went there - well, why would you, when you could do Australia instead?"

But he said the exposure of New Zealand's natural beauty in the Lord of the Rings trilogy woke the world up to the country.

"[It is] the ruggedest, prettiest, friendliest, most cultured, least crowded, most adrenaline-burning, most serenely peaceful, best-value-booze-and-foodiest, most just-plain-wonderful holiday destination in the world ... the once-in-a-lifetime trip you should aim to do every few years."