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Pro
Small enough to explore in less than a day but enough to do on a longer stay
Con
COLD! Winter temps as low as -5 degrees C.
In a nutshell
famous NZ Legends where born in Timaru.
Visit the Aigantighe Art Gallery
Kakapo2 Says: For a start you would surely be interested to know how to pronounce Aigantighe, am I right?Well, it is: “Egg and Tie”.The word is Scottish Gaelic and means: at home.The Scottish name of this Edwardian house refers to the first owners who were born in Scotland and made Timaru...
DSwede Says: Down in the park area, adjacent to the botanical gardens is the Timaru Aviary.It is a small domed enclosure with many exotic birds. There may be some local New Zealand birds, but most are imported. There are parrots, wood birds, ducks, egrets, etc.The fenced enclosure has...
Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden, Timaru's Pride
Kakapo2 Says: This is Timaru’s biggest pride, located at the foot of the Timaru Piazza, just a stonethrow from the shores of Caroline Bay. From the Piazza on Bay Hill you have a great aerial view of the garden which has been architecturally designed by Sir Miles Warren, and has strictly...
You can Dine at the Old Customs House
Kakapo2 Says: The Old Customs House is quite a spectacular building, some steps from the main road where you would not necessarily walk to. Its Corinthian style architecture and its striking white colour with light blue pillars and columns make it a standout landmark.From the Visitor...
The new Phar Lap Memorial at the Raceway
Kakapo2 Says: On 25 and 26 November 2009 Timaru celebrated a Phar Lap Festival, honouring New Zealand’s (and Australia’s) most famous racehorse ever. The highlight was the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue at Phar Lap Raceway north of the township.The statue was created by Auckland...
TIMARU VISTOR CENTRE & CAPTAIN CAIN
balhannah Says: As usual, we found the Information centre before heading out and having a look at Timaru.The Tourist Information Centre is the restored stone Service Landing Building, which has a small maritime museum inside. The staff helped us out, sold us some souvenirs, and then we had...
balhannah Says: I love gardening, and I love my Roses, and here at Timaru, there is the beautiful Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden on Caroline Bay. Located by Timaru Piazza, this Rose garden has 1,200 roses set out in a well designed garden. The gardens are said to have a representative plant...
Stroll through the Botanic Gardens
Kakapo2 Says: I felt a bit like in Little Christchurch when walking through Timaru’s Botanic Gardens. Little Christchurch, because so many features reminded me of the Gardens of the big city, the nice lawns to stroll around, duck ponds, a beautiful rose garden, large mature trees, a herb...
Kakapo2 Says: This rather new scultpure stands in a small grassy patch at the corner of Stafford Street & The Terrace/Port Loop Road, just off the Piazza.It was unveiled on 26 November 2008.The artist was Debbie Templeton Page, a Tasmanian-born artist who has been living in Timaru for...
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Blue Bay Café: South Canterbury's Best Café 2008
Kakapo2 Says: We often stop at the Blue Bay Café in Timaru, mostly just for coffee, a cake or savoury snack from the cabinet, or a soup – and you do not get a lot more, as the menu is rather small. The quality of the coffees and food is good – but the main reason for loving this place is...
Speights Ale House: Best dining in Timaru - bar none
kiwikid Says: Great food at reasonable prices in a stunning character building. The menu has something for everyone, and includes a selection of vegetarian dishes. The staff are friendly and helpful and the servings are generous.It's warm and cosy in the colder months. In summer the...
pepples46 Says: unfortunatly, the Southerner does not run anymore, in Febr. 2002 it had its last journey from Picton to Invercargill....have a look at the intro map...that long beautiful stretch, mostly along the South Island coast, is fallen to coast cuttings by Trainsrail...these days...
tinkabel Says: As Timaru is not all that big, you can probably get around on your own two feet in the central city. A car would be very usefull if you intend to see a bit more of the region. There are four bus routes that travel from the main street area out to the suburbs, there are...
Helpfulness
The Festival of Roses is one of the big annual events in town. It takes place on eight days each November. The dates for 2009 are 20 to 29 November. The theme for the 2009 is: The Four Corners of the Earth.
It is held to celebrate the arrival of summer and the city’s special love for the rose. Timaru’s pride is the Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden in Caroline Bay, just off the city centre. And there is also a nice Rose Garden in the Botanical Gardens.
During the Festival of Roses you can get into a lot of activities, like organised walks, talks, tours, exhibitions and displays, art, theatre, as well as competitions, shows and family fun. Please note that you need tickets for some of the events.
The highlight of the Festival is the Roses on the Bay Market Day with 150 stalls, all day entertainment, and food. A small fee for tickets applies, children free.
Written Jun 1, 2009
Phone: (03) 688 5531
Website: http://www.festivalofroses.co.nz/
Kakapo2 Says: You might wonder what the phark is this? Even this word (phark) I write and you have never heard before.No, no, this is not correct. You HAVE heard it before. You have only not read it this way.Read it out loud – with a long a and neglecting the r - and you will know.I...
Phar Lap Memorial for the greatest Race Horse
Kakapo2 Says: You will not just drive past this memorial even if you visit Timaru. I did not even seen the sign that leads to it for several years – if the sign has always been there… ;-)It is located 5 km east of SH 1. You have to turn off the highway at the northern end of Timaru into...
balhannah Says: Our drive to the Lake started off very good, but by the time we reached Lake Tekapo, the weather was not the best. The wind had come up in this area, and was blowing our Camper Van around, and the Lake, well, it wasn't like any of the lovely photo's I had seen. It was like...
Helpfulness
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
Written May 7, 2007
Kakapo2 Says: -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...
Kakapo2 Says: As you might know by now, I am a bird lover. Although I prefer them to live in the wild, I also feel attracted by birds in aviaries – and if only I stand there and express my regrets that they have to live behind bars…It makes me sad when they climb up the meshfences. But as...
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Roses, Beaches, Heritage and Carnival
This page already gives a nice overview about things to do in Timaru but it is not finished yet. Timaru - about halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin on the South Island's east coast - is a...
This is my home town, even though I'm not living here at the moment I'm still proud that this is where I grew up! Timaru is a small city on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. With a......
Where "The legendary PHAR LAP" WAS BORN
A easy 2 hours drive from Christchurch and you are at Timaru. Its located on Caroline Bay, which is very popular with New Zealanders because of its sandy, safe beach. The Information Centre is...
This sea-side town is the main town of the province of South Canterbury which includes Mount Cook (Aoraki) as one of its key features. Many places including the local polytechnic use the name Aoraki...
Timaru is about 2 hours drive south of Christchurch and about an hour south of Ashburton, and an hour north of Oamaru. Its hills mark the beginning or end of the Canterbury Plains (depending on what...
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