OceaniaNew ZealandCanterbury
Timaru
Canterbury, New Zealand · Oceania
About Timaru
Timaru sits on the route: 10 minutes from Gleniti.
Timaru is in Canterbury, New Zealand, with about 29,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Gleniti, about 5 km away.
Timaru (English: ; Māori: Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand, 157 km (98 mi) southwest of Christchurch and about 196 km (122 mi) northeast of Dunedin, on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The urban area's population of 29,300 people is the largest in SouthRead more
Canterbury, and the third-largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch and Rolleston. The town is the seat of the Timaru District, which includes the surrounding rural area and the towns of Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Temuka, which combined have a total population of 49,500.
Caroline Bay beach is a popular recreational area close to Timaru's main centre, just to the north of the substantial port facilities. Beyond Caroline Bay, the industrial suburb of Washdyke is at a major junction with State Highway 8, the main route into the Mackenzie Country. This provides a road link to Pleasant Point, Fairlie, Twizel, Lake Tekapo, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown.
Timaru is built on rolling hills created from lava flows of the extinct Mt Horrible volcano, which last erupted 2 to 2.5 Ma. The result is that most of the main streets are undulating, a clear contrast with the flat landscape of the Canterbury Plains to the north. The volcanic rock is referred to as bluestone, and is used in the construction of local buildings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any good drives near Timaru?
The nearest famous roads are Porters Pass and Lindis Pass.
Where is Timaru?
Timaru is in Canterbury, New Zealand, about 5 km from Gleniti.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 29,300
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Canterbury
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -44.3967, 171.2536
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
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