The Admiral Creighton, Kaikoura  

A talking bird named Creighton greets you at the doorsteps!! Talk about unconventional... Seriously, out of the seven hotels and B n Bs that we stayed in during the whole duration of our stay in both the North and South Islands, this was the most memorable. It's a charming combination of the above average local B and B with a dash of quirkiness (in a good sense). This same combination applies to the owners who are a retired police officer and nurse. They are most helpful yet giving you the privacy that most guests crave to fully enjoy the exquisite surroundings.
The exterior is a garden and a stream running next to it with an unobstructed view of the fields and mountains. The interior is a conventional Kaikoura home with a fireplace and tasteful settings. Ditto the rooms (some with own bathrooms). Location wise, everywhere is walking distance from anywhere, well almost anyways.
Now for the quirkiness part, after your breakfast and feeding Creighton (you can't skip this part as Creighton is quite insistent on sharing your meal), do not even think of throwing your leftovers. The leftovers will be taken to the stream to feed the ducks, trouts and salmons (depending on season) and wait for this, near extinct local giant eels that reaches 2 meters long! Don't worry, this excursion will be accompanied by Creighton and a guardian (a dog named Molly I think).
Reminder, all this experience were based on our stay there for 1 night! A longer stay, you might just have memories for a lifetime mate.... Kia Ora ;)