Parklands Motor Lodge Timaru
65 - 67 Evans Street, Timaru, New Zealand
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More about Timaru
Photos
Captain Cain waiting in front of the i-site.
Sheep dog statue, Lake Tekapo
A garden full of sculptures and native trees.
A huge staircase leads down to the Rose Garden.
Forum Posts
Things for young people to do?...
by kaylz02
hello,
my boyfriend and i are heading over there in october...(we live in australia) his family are from timaru but i would like to know what there is to do for young people so i can organise something and surprise him... Any activities in the way of adrenalin pumping stuff...something to keep us moving... I dont want him to end up sleeping on his parents couch too lazy to show me around...
can you suggest a few ideas?
kahla
Things for young people to do?...
by kiwi
Sure! Take a lovely drive into the mountains to Omarama and send him on a glider flight in the mountains!! without an engine, and soaring the wave in the sky, it's totally amazing. Check it out: http://www.soaring.co.nz/
Travel Tips for Timaru
A short History of Timaru
by Kakapo2
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The name Timaru derives from the Maori name Te Maru which means: Place of shelter.
It once was the only place where Maori, tired from travelling along the dangerous and rocky coastline in their canoes, could find shelter on the way from Banks Peninsula in the north to Oamaru further south.
The origins of the European town you see today lie south of today’s centre, at Patiti Point.
The first European resident was a whaler named Samuel Williams who arrived in 1837. A year later the Weller Brothers who were based in Sydney, set up a whaling station.
You could not call Timaru a real town for quite a while until the English ship Strathallan arrived with 120 immigrants in 1859. But it took until 1877 that a harbour was built, and when the sandy beach of Caroline Bay developed over time (see tip about Caroline Bay), Timaru became a popular beach resort. It attracts most visitors with the Christmas Carnival.
Visitor Information
by Kakapo2
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The Visitor Information Centre (i-site) in Timaru deserves a special mention. Not only because it is located in a beautiful historic building - the Landing Services Building - which you should visit anyway. Also the staff are incredibly helpful and friendly.
Surely it helps that Timaru is not overrun with tourists, so normally you and the i-site staff are not confronted by big queues, and they do have time for you.
Some of Timaru's attractions are a bit hidden and relatively widely dispersed, so you might need instructions on how to get there. Without clear directions and a map you would almost certainly not be able to find the Maori rock drawings in the region, and the i-site staff will also be able to tell you which of those sites are on public land and which are freely accessible.
It might be interesting what activities the i-site suggests for a Timaru visit, I have edited stuff like retail therapy, café and restaurant visits out of it because you can do this everywhere, and there is nothing specific about it in Timaru.
1. visit Aigantighe Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden
2. watch a blacksmith demonstration at the port
3. get on the water - take a Dolphin cruise
4. go rock- climbing, mountain biking or swimming
5. unwind on the Shakespeare Walk at the Botanic Gardens
6. visit the Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden on Caroline Bay
7. visit the South Canterbury Museum
8. stroll along the beach at sunset
9. play a recreational game of golf, bowls or tennis
10. tour the Brewery
11. plan a day trip to a scenic river gorge
Contact details
Visitor Centre (i-site)
2 George Street
Timaru
Phone: +64 3 687 9997
Fax: +64 3 687 9992
Email: timaruinfo@southisland.org.nz
Website: http://www.southisland.org.nz/timaru.asp
Photo 2 shows a more detailed view of the Landing Service Building and Captain Cain's sculpture in front of it.
Aorangi park
by fishandchips
Aorangi (North Island Moari for Mout Cook) park is the centrepiece for sport in Timaru. The location has a combo cricket (summer) & soccer (winter) filed with a bank going all the way around it for good spectator seating. I've played both sports here over the year travelling from Christchurch for the couple of hours each way. There is also a large Netball complex and very big gym for indoor sport - basketball etc
Moeraki Boulders - Otago
by tinkabel
About an hour and a bit drive south of Timaru you will find a town called Moeraki. A little fishing village on the coast south of Oamaru has become famous for a geological wonder on its windswept sands.
Huge Concreations have appeared out of the cliff, and litter the beach like pebbles.
Moeraki makes a fascinating stopover point, both for the dramatic coastal scenery and the curious geological phenomenon on the beaches.
Make sure you have a change of clothes if you wish to climb over the boulders as sometimes waves wash up onto them (I got drenched just after the photo was taken)
Also a good pair of shoes that you dont mind getting dirty or a pair of Gumboots for walking on the beach.
Cycling at Caroline Bay
by Kakapo2
Cycling in Timaru really is a pleasure. There is not a lot of traffic, and less traffic means: less idiots who accidentally or intentionally kill cyclists ;-)
Plus, the hills are not steep, so you get around fine.
You can ride around Caroline Bay, and from there explore the whole area.
If you bring your bikes on/in your car, park at the Caroline Bay Park (Port Loop Road), and cycle from there.
If you want to hire a bike, there are several places to do so, for example The Cyclery. It is located in 106 Stafford Street - which is Timaru's main business and shopping street. It is just two or three buildings from the Theatre Royal.
Open Mon-Thu 8am-5.30pm; Fri 8am-9pm; Sat 9.30am-12.30pm
Phone (03) 688 8892
www.thecyclery.co.nz
Email: ibike@xtra.co.nz
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