CANTERBURY Locations
AKAROA
Akaroa is a town on Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region
of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 82 kilometres by road
from Christchurch.
Set on a beautiful, sheltered harbour and overlooked by craggy
volcanic hills, Akaroa is a popular resort town with a decidedly
French flavour.
Many Hector's Dolphins may be found in the harbour, and 'swim
with the dolphins' boat tours are a major tourist attraction.
AMBERLEY
Amberley is a town located in the Hurunui District of north
Canterbury, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand.
It is located approximately 50 kilometers north of Christchurch.
Waipara and Leithfield are nearby villages.
ASHBURTON
Ashburton is a town in the Canterbury region on the east coast
of the South Island of New Zealand. The third largest centre
in Canterbury after Christchurch and Timaru, it is the main
centre of Mid-Canterbury.
Ashburton is located 80 kilometers south of Christchurch just
a little over an hour's comfortable drive.
The town is the centre of a rich agricultural and pastoral farming
district, part of the Canterbury Plains. It has one large suburb,
Tinwald, which is south of the town.
CANTERBURY
The New Zealand region of Canterbury mostly comprises the Canterbury
Plains. The region is bounded in the north by the Conway River,
to the west by the Southern Alps and to the south by the Waitaki
River.
Christchurch is the main city and Timaru is second in size.
Other townships range from Kaikoura in the North to Ashburton
in the south.
CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch is the main city in Canterbury, New Zealand. It
lies at the southern end of Pegasus Bay, in the middle of the
east coast of the South Island, between Banks Peninsula and
the Canterbury Plains. The official "city" is bounded, to the
east by the Pacific Ocean coast and the estuary of the Avon
and Heathcote rivers, to the south and south-east by the volcanic
slopes of the Port Hills, and in the north by the Waimakariri
River. The urban area extends a little further.
The large number of public parks and many well developed residential
gardens with many trees throughout the city have given it the
name of The Garden City. Hagley Park and the Christchurch Botanic
Gardens are located in the centre of the city, with Hagley Park
being a site for sports such as golf, netball, and rugby, and
for open air concerts by local bands and the Christchurch Symphony
Orchestra.
With much of the city being flat and only a few metres above
sea level, spectacular views can be obtained from almost any
high building. At these low elevations the city appears more
like a forest with only a few buildings visible, rather than
a major city.
The suburbs of Christchurch are: Mairehau; Shirley; Richmond;
Avonside; Linwood; Woolston; Opawa; Sydenham; Spreydon; Addington;
Riccarton; Ilam; Bryndwr; Merivale; Papanui; St Albans; Burwood;
Parklands; Waimairi Beach; Avondale; New Brighton; Bexley; Aranui;
South Brighton; Southshore; Bromley; Redcliffs; Sumner; Ferrymead;
Heathcote Valley; Huntsbury; Cashmere; Westmorland; Hoon Hay;
Halswell; Oaklands; Wigram; Sockburn; Hornby; Islington; Yaldhurst;
Russley; Avonhead; Harewood; Bishopdale; Casebrook; Redwood.
Christchurch has a number of satellite towns: Belfast; Brooklands;
Lyttelton; Tai Tapu; Lincoln; Prebbleton; Templeton; Rolleston.
DARFIELD
Darfield is a town in the South Island of New Zealand located
45 kilometres west from the outskirts of Christchurch on The
Great Alpine Highway.
Darfield is the main town between Christchurch and the West
Coast, New Zealand. It is often called "The township under the
Nor'west arch", in reference to a characteristic weather phenomenon,
which often displays an arch of cloud above an otherwise clear
sky to the west of the township. This is caused by the condensation
of water particles channeled upwards over the Southern Alps.
Darfield lies in the Malvern district's arable and pastoral
farming area. It is a gateway to the scenic Waimakariri and
Rakaia Rivers and the Southern Alps, and is also a popular lift-off
place for hot-air ballooning.
FAIRLIE
Fairlie is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island
of New Zealand and commonly known as the gateway to the Mackenzie
Basin. It was first known as Fairlie's Creek and supposedly
named because it reminded early settlers of Fairlie in Scotland.
GERALDINE
Geraldine is a town in the Canterbury region on the South Island
of New Zealand located about 140 kilometres south of Christchurch,
and inland from Timaru, 35 kilometres to the south.
HANMER SPRINGS
Hanmer Springs is a town in the Canterbury region of the South
Island of New Zealand. It is located inland, 65 kilometres southwest
from Kaikoura, on a minor road 10 kilometres north off the northern
route betweeen Christchurch and the West Coast via Lewis Pass.
It is named after the hot springs in the area.
There are two skifields, Hanmer Springs Skifield and Mount Lyford.
KAIAPOI
Kaiapoi is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island
of New Zealand, located close to the mouth of the Waimakariri
River and approximately 15 kilometres north of Christchurch.
KAIKOURA
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of
New Zealand located 180 km north of Christchurch.
The Kaikoura Peninsula extends into the sea south of the town,
and the resulting upwelling currents bring an abundance of marine
life from the depths of the nearby Hikurangi Trench. The town
owes its origin to this effect, since it developed as a centre
for the whaling industry. The name 'Kaikoura' means 'The cooking
place of crayfish', and the crayfish industry is a major contributor
to the economy of the region. However Kaikoura has now become
a popular tourist destination, mainly for whale watching (the
Sperm Whale watching is perhaps the best and most developed
in the world) and swimming with or near dolphins. There is also
a large and readily observed colony of Southern Fur Seals at
the edge of the town.
It is also one of the best reasonably accessible places in the
world to see open ocean seabirds such as albatross.
The town has a strikingly beautiful setting, as the Kaikoura
mountains, a branch of the Southern Alps come nearly to the
sea at this point on the coast.
LAKE TEKAPO
Spectacular Lake Tekapo is surrounded by golden tussock and
snow-capped mountain landscape. The lake was originally a glacial
valley and its stunning turquoise-blue colour originates from
glacial sediment. There are two major glacier run-offs and six
major rivers which run into the lake. Situated to the north
of the Mackenzie Basin, the lake is 32 km long, 2000 feet above
sea level, and 120 metres deep at its deepest part. There is
one island in the middle.
Lake Tekapo is located in the heart of New Zealand's South Island.
It is approximately halfway between Christchurch and Queenstown,
and is close to New Zealand's highest peak Mt Cook.
LEESTON
Leeston is a small town on the Canterbury Plains in the South
Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres southwest
of Christchurch, between the shore of Lake Ellesmere and the
mouth of the Rakaia River. The town is a farming service centre.
LINCOLN
Lincoln is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island
of New Zealand. It is located on the Canterbury Plains to the
west of Banks Peninsula, 22 kilometres south of Christchurch.
It is the site of Lincoln University.
LYTTELTON
Lyttelton is a port town located on the north shore of Lyttelton
Harbour on Banks Peninsula, 12 kilometres by road from Christchurch
on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Rapaki
and Corsair Bay are popular beach spots.
The town is linked to Christchurch by railway and road tunnels
through the Port Hills. At 1900 metres length, the Lyttelton
Road Tunnel is the country's longest road tunnel.
The harbour is an inlet on the north-western side of Banks Peninsula,
extending 18 kilometres inland from the southern end of Pegasus
Bay. It is surrounded by steep hills, formed from the sides
of an extinct volcanic crater, that rise to a height of 500
metres. Several smaller settlements are dotted along the shore
of the harbour, notably Governor's Bay and Diamond Harbour.
A small island, Quail Island sits in the upper harbour to the
southwest of Lyttelton.
METHVEN
Methven is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island
of New Zealand. It is located near the western edge of the Canterbury
Plains 35 kilometres north of Ashburton.
It is a rural service town and also offers accommodation in
the winter for skiers from the nearby Mount Hutt skifield.
MOUNT COOK
The magnificent Southern Alps stretch from Nelson in the north
down to Fiordland in the south.
In this maze of mountains, Mount Cook stands highest, situated
in the Mount Cook National Park. Awarded 'World Heritage' status
in recognition of its qualities and rare beauty, the Park covers
an area of nearly 7,000 hectares of majestic alpine scenery
with more than one third being in permanent snow and glacial
ice.
The park contains 22 of the 27 peaks over 10,000 feet (3,000
metres) in New Zealand and provides a wonderland for walkers,
skiers and mountaineers. A popular way to experience the grandeur
of this mountain area is with a helicopter or a fixed wing flightseeing
trip.
When the Polynesians arrived fresh from the tropical Pacific
they risked frostbite and lethal mountain rivers to gaze upon
the mountain in awe, naming it Aoraki. Mount Cook was first
conquered on Christmas Day in 1894 by Tom Fyfe, George Graham
and Jack Clarke, all New Zealanders. The Mount Cook Information
Centre provides a fascinating array of historical and contemporary
facts about the region.
A special feature of this area is the mountain buttercup or
Mount Cook Lily with its multitude of white blossoms that grace
the land through spring and summer. The Park is also home to
the mountain parrot, the kea, and also the yellow-breasted tomtit,
tiny rifleman and the native pigeon.
OXFORD
Oxford is a small town serving the farming community of north
Canterbury, New Zealand. It is located at the inland edge of
the Canterbury Plains, 40 kilometres northwest from Christchurch.
RANGIORA
Rangiora is the largest town in north Canterbury of the South
Island of New Zealand located 25 kilometers to the north of
Christchurch, close to the start of the inland Canterbury route,
which skirts the inner edge of the Canterbury Plains, running
southwest to Timaru via Oxford and Geraldine.
TEMUKA
Temuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres
north of Timaru. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep
and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town.
TIMARU
Timaru in south Canterbury, New Zealand, is located 160 kilometres
south of Christchurch and 200 kilometres north of Dunedin on
the Pacific coast.
Caroline Bay is a popular beach area located north of the substantial
port facilities. The northern industrial suburb of Washdyke
is located at the junction of the main routh into the Mackenzie
Basin.
TWIZEL
Twizel is a town in the Mackenzie Basin of the South Island
of New Zealand. Twizel was built in 1968 to service the Upper
Waitaki hydroelectricity scheme and was intended to be removed
once the project had been completed, however its residents successfully
fought to save the town.
Twizel is a service and tourist town for visitors to the area.
Nearby Lake Ruataniwha supports rowing, sailing and water skiing.
