A small town in the South Island is making a splash, after it was named one of the most beautiful in the world.
In May, Condé Nast released its list of the 50 most beautiful small towns worldwide, and one coastal hideaway made the cut.
So what makes the little town of Kaikōura so special?
The media company behind GQ and Vogue called it "the perfect destination for animal lovers" thanks to its clear blue waters teeming with wildlife. It also boasts stunning seafood restaurants and "cute boutique hotels".
Here, time seems to move at a more leisurely pace than the frenetic energy of the big city, with breathtaking views and locals keen for a chat.
"The place used to be where you stopped for a pee and a pie, but now people come here for our hospitality and our coffee," former Kaikōura mayor Kevin Heays said.
"We're all good bastards. I think really, it's our people that make the place really what it is, along with all [the scenery]."
But there's one constant that cuts through the quiet of the picturesque town – the cry of seagulls.
"They're here in abundance," the former radio station boss said.
"People realise. You walk down the road with a sausage roll and it's gone. You eat it before you leave."
While the town isn't known worldwide for its tourist attractions like Rotorua, Queenstown or the Bay of Islands, the locals want to keep it that way.
"We don't want to turn into another Queenstown, we don't want to be another Mt Maunganui or another Mission Bay," Heay said.
"The people that have lived here for generations, that's how they want it – they want it to move slowly.
"They don't want to wake up in the morning and there's a building where there wasn't one there yesterday."
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