South Canterbury Follow the main road south from Christchurch and the first towns you’ll pass through are Ashburton and Timaru.  Head west and you’ll find the unique inland farming towns of Geraldine and Fairlie as the landscape in front of you becomes more engaging and the peaks of the Southern Alps get closer.  The jewel in the Southern Alps crown is, of course, NZ’s tallest peak – the 3754m/12315ft Mount Cook.  Look out for for your first glimpse from the shores of the turquoise Lake Pukaki.  The towns and countryside, from beach to mountains, make up the region known as Aoraki District.  Aoraki is a Maori word for Mount Cook, meaning ‘cloud piercer’.

Geraldine - you’ll find dozens of reasons to stop for a while around Geraldine – the town itself was established in 1854 and today it’s a prosperous farming area with sheep, cattle, deer, cows, cropping and fruit growing in abundance.  Geraldine’s tree-lined streets and beautiful old buildings give the town a pleasant ‘old-world’ atmosphere but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the cuisine.  In the last few years Geraldine has come into its own when it comes to fabulous café food, pub gardens, home made cheeses and chocolates, wine bars and local fruit products. 
Meanwhile, activities are diverse – you can visit local galleries and studios if you’re into arts and crafts, or even follow Geraldine’s dedicated arts trail to view potters, leadlighters, woodturners, painters, sculptors, the medieval mosaic and our famous glass blower.  Popular museums include the Vintage Car and Machinery Museum. If you’re more into the outdoors, Geraldine is home to rafting (grade 5 - experience recommended), off road tours, horse riding, quad biking (try nearby Aoraki Cottage for a family quad bike farm tour) and numerous beautiful bush walks and picnic spots.  What’s more, it’s just an hour’s drive from no less than eight local ski fields!  (Mount Hutt, Roundhill, Mount Dobson, Mount Cheeseman, Craigieburn, Mount Olympus, Fox Peak and Broken River)  Visit The Edge on Snow for more on skiing in New Zealand.

Pleasant Point  Just 20 minutes drive from Geraldine or Temuka, this is a small, friendly township.  Highlight is the town’s museum and fully restored and functioning steam locomotive as well as the world’s only Ford Model T railcar.  Look out for Pleasant Point family events, such as ‘Friends of Thomas’ or visit anytime and take a ride on the steam train or railcar.

Timaru - a vibrant town with an Edwardian heart, a mountain backdrop and sweeping beaches.  The beachfront has a traditional flavour with promenades, playground and picnic areas, making it an ideal family stop off.  Other activities include dolphin watching cruise, climbing, biking, the South Canterbury Museum with its famous Maori rock art, mini golf, maze and ice skating.

Aoraki Mount Cook - see the landscape change drastically - from the flat plains of Canterbury’s farmland to the rugged Southern Alps.  Leave the beach behind and experience instead the stunning turquoise waters of Lakes Pukaki and Tekapo.  The highlight of this road has to be the stunning view of the 3754m/12315ft Mount Cook, from the shores of Lake Pukaki.  There’s plenty of accommodation in Mount Cook village, or nearby Tekapo or Twizel, and plenty of outdoor activity.  There are walks galore in the region – from Mount Cook village you can walk just 20 minutes to the Tasman Glacier, or to the shores of its terminal lake, complete with resident icebergs!  You can even take a boat tour to get up close to the icebergs.  Other activities are also based around taking in the unique landscape – fly and land on a glacier, or take a 4WD tour and let a local show you the sights.  Horse trekking and kayaking are also available.

  SOUTH CANTERBURY FAMILY ACCOMMODATION

  SOUTH CANTERBURY FAMILY ACTIVITIES

  SOUTH CANTERBURY FAMILY RESTAURANTS