Timaru is located on the South Island of New Zealand . On foreign concepts this city can be called boring, but it will not be entirely fair . There are several curious museums, nice "piazza" - a square on the beach with amazing views of the popular Bay of Caroline with snow-capped peaks in the background and a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants near by . And in the neighborhood you can swing on mountain and road bikes, go on camping trips, rafting and kayaking on the famous Rangitata river, go golfing, skiing and even hunt deer, wallabies and wild boars .
How to get to Timara
Richard Pierce Airport is located 13 km from the center of Timaru and takes several flights a day from Wellington . Christchurch International Airport is located 160 km from Timaru, it accepts airplanes of many destinations of various airlines, and you can get to it from the direct bus , but they go they are not so often . Also by bus you can get to the city from Christchurch and Dunedin . Directly through the city passes Highway No. 1, the main transport artery of the north / south . True, the scenery on the road between Christchurch and Timar is not too picturesque, so you can choose to travel by car more beautiful road number 72 through Mount Somers and Geraldin . The only ground transportation in the city itself is a taxi .
Search for air tickets to the city of Queenstown (the nearest airport to Timaru)
21.02 - 23 days. New Zealand - Australia "On a visit to Kiwi and Ozzy" from 538,000 rubles.
27.02, 20.03, 01.05 - 10 days. "In the footsteps of Captain Grant" from 315 000 rubles. + a / p
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A bit of history
Europeans lived here Maori, here they built, judging by everything, their cities and sanctuaries. Harbor Bay of Caroline was perfectly served for canoe trips along the coast. The Europeans came here in the 19th century, building a whaling station and calling the bay by the name of the ship that supplied it. The first 120 settlers from Great Britain arrived here in 1859. Eventually, the city became the second largest fishing port of the country.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions Timaru
Timaru is a medium-sized city by New Zealand standards. It's good to walk and ride a bicycle here. You can start right from the port: take a look at the huge cranes, which in fact played a pivotal role in the development of the whole region; and then inspect a series of sculptures on the embankment, starting with the scary "Face of Peace."
Historical architecture of Timaru is typical of provincial New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century . In the guise of many buildings on Stafford Street, the influence of the Edwardian era is clearly traced . Attention is the building of the land committee built 1870 g . from large bars of local bluish sandstone to George Street . Also interesting is the Royal Arcade (between Stafford Street and Sofia Street), the council building (George Street), the old customs house with a portico that maintains the antique look columns (Stratellen Street), the Church of St. Mary (Church Street) and the brutal building of the Warren County Library and Mahone (Sofia Street) .
In addition, walking around the city, you can stumble upon several old brick flour mills - for example, Evans Atlas (Station Street), Belford (North Street, but looks better with Heaton Street), Couplands (High Street) and Timapu-Milling (Mill Street). Many of these designs are so old that they are meant for demolition, so that they do not fall apart during an earthquake, so it's worth taking a look at them.
The two main churches of the city are completely different .Anglican Church St. .Mary - an example of the English Gothic revival .And the Catholic Basilica of St. .Hearts (it stands a little farther down Craig Avenue) - quite another matter .It is an impressive rather massive cathedral in the Romanesque style with two symmetrical facade towers .Outside, the church, built in 1911 ., looks bright thanks to the contrasting red and white brick, as well as the now-green copper dome .Inside, you can see beautiful stained-glass windows and a worthwhile altar made of different rock rocks .
- Have fun in the new aqua center CBay with water slides, steam rooms, spa, sauna and fitness.
- Take a picture with the bronze captain Kane and find out the story of his life. The bearded captain sits on a box near the tourist information center, holding a telescope on his lap.
- Go to Pleasant Point and in the museum there to look at the only rail car in the world.
Caroline Bay - the pearl of the middle south of Canterbury County .Safe beach for swimming and a park complex are located in the heart of Timaru .It is also worth to get off the piazza to the rose garden of Trevor Griffiths, the pride of Timar - the entrance is free .It is located almost on the shore of the bay, which provides visitors with excellent views - of course, if they can escape from contemplation of 1200 roses, a pergola, a pond, a fountain and other park riches .In the garden, opened in 2001 ., there is at least one copy of each major varietal group of roses from around the world .The flower-grower, in honor of whom the park was named, owned the third-largest collection of roses in the world (then it numbered 600 plants), and another 600 new roses were given to the garden by the English florist D .Austin.
Art Gallery "Eygentay" occupies a building with a tiled roof, donated to the city by the family Grant .In the gallery you can see both the permanent exhibition and temporary art exhibitions of New Zealand, Oceania, Asia and Europe from the 16th century to the present day .And the adjoining territory with a sculptural garden is always open for a free visit .In the busy gallery of York Street, which occupies the old cottage of the first settlers, you can not only admire the most bizarre works of modern artists - paintings and sculptures, but also buy something (expensive or quite the contrary) .
The Museum of Southern Canterbury, on Perth Street, occupies an interesting hexagonal building. Perhaps it is not the Louvre Museum, but the museum definitely has its own character. He gives a good idea of the history of Timar and the flight of Richard Pierce. And his visit is also free, although donations are welcome. Even in Timaru there is a center of rock art "Te Anna Ngai Tahu", where you can learn more about the culture of Ngay Tahu and the transcripts of Maori drawings.
The Botanical Garden of Timaru offers a stroll through the pleasant calm garden and feed the ducks with bread crusts. Free entry.
Book popular Timaru hotels at the best prices
| Glendeer Lodge from 8,147 rubles Timaru 51 Scarborough Road, RD1 | ||
| Comfort Hotel Benvenue from 6 750 rub. Timaru 16-22 Evans Street | Harbor View Motel from 7,216 rubles Timaru 8 Evans Street | Aspen on King from 6,285 rubles Timaru 51 King Street |
| Homestead Lodge Motel from 4 656 rub. Timaru 28 Evans Street, Maori Hill | The Grosvenor Hotel from 3,352 rubles Timaru 26 Cains Terrace | Townhouse Motel from 4 423 rubles Timaru 29-31 Evans Street, Maori Hill |
Events Timaru
Caroline Gulf Caroline takes place annually, opening on Boxing Day (December 26), and lasts until mid-January. This tradition was laid back in 1910. Everyone gather here, from small to large, to attend the races, games and concerts. Critics say that the fun here is provincial and uninteresting, but their opponents call it "retrostyle."
In late November, when everything begins to bloom, the city hosts a festival of roses. Private gardens are open for visitors all week, showcases are decorated, and on Saturday, on a market day, live music is heard here.
A small market for farm products runs on Saturdays at Stratellen Street from 9:00 to 12:30. There are many good local products, including organic.
Surroundings of Timaru
Geraldine - a pretty village 35 km from Timaru, nestled at the foot of the steep hills and divided in half by the calm river Vayi. Its main street is lined with untouched old trees and built up by ancient buildings; there are always a lot of people walking - both local and guests. Not far from Geraldine is Pyl Forest, a small village, an oasis of beauty and tranquility amidst a virgin old forest. This is a popular zone for various kinds of active recreation.
And at 20 km from Timaru is Pleasant Point - the ideal place to explore Maori rock art, try products from an award-winning vineyard or even explore the City Museum and the railway with fully restored steam locomotives and the Ford Model T rail car - the last remaining.