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Explore New Zealand

South Canterbury, New Zealand

  • Welcome

    A region with a colourful history, South Canterbury is rich in Maori and European culture, fascinating stories of local personalities and historic Victorian and Edwardian architecture. With rolling hill country dotted with limestone outcrops and caves, South Canterbury is the Maori rock art centre of New Zealand and its refreshing natural environment is popular for holidays, short breaks, recreation and all kinds of sports.

    Within a short drive from the region’s main centre Timaru, the townships of Geraldine, Peel Forest, Pleasant Point, Temuka and Waimate offer a variety of South Canterbury outdoor activities and adventures for all ages and interests.

  • Te Ana Ngai Tahu Rock Art Centre

    Long known for its rolling hills, stunning mountain views and relaxed pace of life, the Aoraki South Canterbury region hides a lesser known secret of enormous cultural and historical significance. Ancient limestone caves and overhanging rock shelves have formed hundreds of natural art galleries. A large number of New Zealand’s remaining ancient Maori Rock Art sites (approximately 300 sites) lie within a 70km radius of Timaru, Aoraki South Canterbury. The Te Ana Ngai Tahu Rock Art Centre provides accessible, meaningful and authentic cultural interpretation for some of New Zealand's most significant examples of Maori rock art. Visitors to the centre follow the same paths as the people who created the rock art - a journey through time, seasons, earthly and spiritual worlds.

  • Relax on Timaru’s beautiful Caroline Bay

    Holiday makers have been attracted to the popular, sandy beach of Caroline Bay and its iconic summer Caroline Bay Carnival for over a century. The newly developed beachfront area has scenic lookout points, popular beachfront boardwalks, children's playground areas, paddling pools, a skating rink and numerous picnic spots. When it's time to come in from the outdoors, relax at a cafe, bar or restaurant on the Piazza above the Bay and enjoy stunning views of Caroline Bay and mountains beyond.

  • Aoraki Mt Cook

    Aoraki Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain at 3754 metres and part of the famous Southern Alps. Maori legend says that Aoraki was with his brothers in the canoe Te Waka a Aoraki which stranded on a reef. Aoraki and his brother were frozen into stone after sitting on the wreckage thus creating the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana.

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