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The official website of the Timaru District Tourism Agency
Destinations
Destinations
Timaru City
Geraldine
Temuka
Pleasant Point
Peel Forest & Mesopotamia
See & Do
See & Do
Family Fun
Get out and make the most of Timaru district with these family friendly activities. With playgrounds and wildlife encounters to beaches and attractions, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained.
Tours & Experiences
Explore museums, visit high country stations, take a scenic helicopter flight or go on a guided hunting trip, there are plenty of different ways to see the region.
Arts, Culture & Heritage
Visit galleries and museums, discover ancient Māori rock art, admire vibrant street art and wander through beautiful heritage gardens.
Sports & Outdoors
You can do it all in Timaru district, from surfing to hunting game to swimming in the ocean. It's a great destination all year round.
Walk & Bike Trails
Walk and bike along our costal tracks with breathtaking views. From short walks to hikes, coastal trails to bush tracks, there’s over 30 walking & cycling trails to discover.
Top 10 Things
The Timaru district is full of fun things for the whole family. Caroline Bay, little penguins and Māori Rock Art are just some of them, here are our Top 10 Must Do’s.
ROAM
Go for a ROAM around the beautiful Central South Island lakes and visit fabulous locations like Aoraki/Mt Cook, Tekapo and Ōmārama.
Timaru Trails
Explore Timaru district’s fascinating history, art scene, food, walking & biking tracks and more with the free Timaru Trails app.
Eat & Drink
Eat & Drink
Cafes & Coffee Shops
Restaurants
Bars & Breweries
Artisian Creators & Markets
SCOFF
Plan Your Trip
Plan Your Trip
Accommodation
Motels, Hotels and Motorlodges
Boutique and B&B
Holiday Parks and camping
Itineraries & Inspo
Cruise in Timaru
Tours for cruise passengers
Things to see and do
Services
Cruise schedule
Cruise FAQ's for passengers
Information Centres
Seasonal Guide
Getting here and getting around
Tiaki Promise
Maps, Guides and Brochures
Events
Events
Events Calendar
Key & Featured Events
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Family Fun
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By Type
Arts
Culture & Heritage
Family Fun
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Top 10 Things
Tours & Experiences
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By Destinations
Geraldine
Pleasant Point
Temuka
Timaru City
Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre
The Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre in Timaru offers an immersive cultural experience where visitors can learn about the history and significance of Māori rock art from the South Canterbury region. Thro…
Phone: 0800 46 83 262
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Real Kiwi Horse Trekking
Take a ride through some of New Zealand’s most pristine landscapes taking in breathtaking views of the mountains, lakes, glacier fed rivers and Canterbury plain on a bespoke trekking adventure.
Phone: 0800 022 536
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The Raptor Experience
Get up close with New Zealand’s raptors in a unique, hands-on experience. Learn about the lives of our native raptor birds, their ways of hunting, what they feed on, dangers to their safety and their…
Phone: 0274 533 484
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Native bats
South Canterbury is home to an important population of critically endangered bats/ pekapeka.
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Geraldine Farm Tours
Experience an authentic, intimate and up-close real working New Zealand farm set at Beauly Farm, in the South Canterbury foothills near the historic village of Woodbury. Watch sheep shearing and a wo…
Phone: 03 692 2900
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Chipmunks
With heaps to keep little minds and bodies entertained, this is the perfect place to tire the kids out, especially if the weather is less than ideal.
Phone: 03 688 8846
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Mini Golf
Round up the whole family for a day of competitive fun at one of the district’s mini golf courses.
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Disc Golf
A game for the whole family, courses are located in Timaru at Caroline Bay and West End Park, and there is an 18 hole course at Temuka Domain.
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Wuhoo Timaru
Timaru District has wonderful environment, and rich heritage and culture to explore. There is so much, it’s hard sometimes to know where to start. You can pop into the South Canterbury Museum and Tim…
Phone: 027 418 1269
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Playgrounds
There are 43 council owned playgrounds in Timaru District. They will have you running, swinging rolling and jumping your way around the district’s playgrounds.
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Geraldine Cinema
Located in the historic Geraldine Town Hall, the Geraldine Cinema is one of a few left of it’s type and age in New Zealand. Featuring sofas and arm chairs instead of traditional movie theatre seats…
Phone: 03 693 8118
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Movie Max Digital
Playing the latest releases for the whole family, Movie Max Digital is the region’s premier cinema.
Phone: 03 684 6987
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Timaru District Outdoor Pools
The Timaru District has four great heated outdoor pools located at Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine and Pleasant Point.
Phone: 03 687 7200
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CBay Timaru Aquatic Centre
A modern fitness and leisure centre, with three indoor heated pools, 50m outdoor heated pool (open November to March), two hydroslides, a children’s water play area, rapid river, bombing tower and ch…
Phone: 03 684 2229
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Big Rock Adventures
Abseil, jump and zipline your way through this remote canyon with an experienced guide. If you love water sports and are comfortable with heights, this will likely be one of the best things you will…
Phone: 021 179 2274
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Alpaca Walks
Meet, feed, and walk alongside friendly alpacas while taking in the peaceful countryside of Winchester, South Canterbury. Ideal for all ages, this hands-on encounter lets you discover each alpaca’s p…
Phone: 020 4011 7629
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The Farmyard Holiday Park
This is more than just a holiday park, it’s a farmyard you can visit during the day. They have animals including donkeys, alpacas, llamas, goats, Kune kune pigs, Highland cattle, cows, sheep, Guinea…
Phone: 03 693 9355
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The Shearers Quarters – Cafe and more
The Shearers Quarters provides a fun visit for the whole family. Enjoy a meal at the cafe, play mini golf, meet the farmyard animals or explore the crazy maze.
Phone: 03 687 2682
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Timaru’s little penguins
Timaru’s Caroline Bay is home to a colony of the world’s smallest penguin – the Little Penguin/Kororā. Over the summer months (October – March) view them returning from a day’s fishing along Marine P…
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Explore Caroline Bay
A New Zealand Top 10 rated favourite family beach, Caroline Bay is located just minutes from Timaru’ CBD, and is a fantastic place to spend a day with the family.
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Timaru Heritage Trail
Timaru’s city centre features one of New Zealand’s most significant collections of Edwardian buildings. The high quality of the architecture reflects times of growth and prosperity in the district’s…
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CPlay – Timaru’s award winning playground
Set along Timaru’s famous Caroline Bay, you’ll find a special playground designed to capture a child’s imagination. Step into an exciting adventure as you explore a shipwreck, conquer a towering ligh…
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Timaru Botanic Gardens
Timaru Botanic Gardens has an impressive variety of plants and flowers, an aviary, duck pond and playground. Located on 19 hectares of land in south Timaru, it dates back to 1864, when the site was f…
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Street Art
Take a self-guided tour of the Timaru District’s street art. Expressive murals scale buildings, lay hidden in alleyways and add a bold and bright feel to our towns.
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Self drive Māori Rock Art sites
The Timaru District has the highest number of studied Māori rock art sites in New Zealand. This is due to our many river ways that early Māori used as their roads while travelling throughout the Sout…
Phone: 03 688 4452
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South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Centre
Located at Timaru Airport, visitors can view the collection of aircraft, learn about local aviation heroes, including New Zealand’s first aviator, Richard Pearse, and even sit in the cockpit of the F…
Phone: 021 571 893
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Route 79 Museum
An eclectic showcase of classic cars, tractors, military vehicles, WWII artillery, memorabilia and more.
Phone: 027 949 8291
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Temuka Courthouse Museum
Housed in the historic former Temuka Courthouse, this museum is home to over 6,000 items recording the history of Temuka, from farming, to industry, family history and social history.
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Kyle Park Transport Museum
Discover a vast collection of vintage tractors and old farm machinery, plus a large display of classic and vintage trucks. There are two working traction engines plus numerous steam powered items. …
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Pleasant Point Railway Museum
This is a must visit as it’s been rated as one of New Zealand’s best preservation railways, but there’s loads more to this attraction than that. They run fully operational steam locomotives – includi…
Phone: 03 614 8323
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Geraldine Historical Museum
The Geraldine Historical Museum showcases the contribution that organisations and individuals have made to the development of the Geraldine and wider Timaru District. The museum is open 7 days a week…
Phone: 03 693 7028
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Roger Mahan Heritage Centre
This museum houses a varied collection of heritage vehicles and machinery displayed in a huge modern 5600 square metre building, known as the Roger Mahan Heritage Centre.
Phone: 021 225 3140
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Geraldine Military Museum
Visit the South Island’s only dedicated military museum showcasing rare last-of-their-kind vehicles plus large scale displays from Vietnam and Germany.
Phone: +64 027 628 8686
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Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum
For lovers of vintage machinery, this complex includes buildings full of unique vintage cars, vintage tractors, vintage farm machinery and plenty of other exhibits.
Phone: 03 693 8756
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Te Ana Māori Rock Art Tours
Te Ana Māori Rock Art provides the only guided tour to see real rock art in New Zealand. The Te Ana guided tour takes you to a protected rock art site where you will learn the history of the drawings…
Phone: 0800 46 83 262
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Alps 2 Ocean 4×4 High Country Station Tours
Experience the beautiful Central South Island from your base in Timaru District. Explore pristine lakes, mountains and fjords, glaciers, rainforest and 4WD through High Country Sheep Stations.
Phone: 0800 425 772
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