Introduction to fur sea lions: Kaikoura is the gateway to New Zealand’s marine wildlife. There are more than 5,000 New Zealand fur sea lions living in the coastal areas. The fur sea lion gathering area here has also been rated as the third most popular landmark tourist attraction in New Zealand by tripadvisor. The distance from the center of the town to the fur sea lion gathering area is about 4 kilometers. It only takes about 5 minutes to drive and about 50 minutes to walk.