Timaru

Timaru

Take a break in Timaru and enjoy the beachside attractions of Caroline Bay. You'll find botanic gardens, an aviary and wonderful walks.

The second largest city in Canterbury, Timaru sits about midway between Christchurch and Dunedin. It has everything you need for a pleasant stopover. Caroline Bay has a safe swimming beach, botanic gardens, a landscaped piazza and wonderful walks. On Boxing Day every year, generations of kiwis and expats flock to this Bay for the summer carnival. 

A collection of restaurants and cafés links the beach to the main shopping area. If you’re thirsty, consider a tour of the local brewery. The city’s excellent museum has moa-hunter artefacts and all kinds of whaling relics; the art gallery holds the third largest public art collection in the South Island. Timaru has many grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings, constructed in local volcanic bluestone.