Timaru DistrictTimaru District is a local government district on New Zealand's South Island, administered by the Timaru District Council. It is part of the larger Canterbury Region. Timaru district was formed in 1989 from the amalgamation of Timaru City, Geraldine borough, Temuka borough and Strathallan County. GeographyThe Timaru District is located on the east coast of the South Island and stretches inland as far as the Main Divide. The district has a population of 49,500 (June 2025).
Pleasant Point, New ZealandPleasant Point is a small country town in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, some 19 km (12 mi) inland from Timaru, on State Highway 8. It is a service town for the surrounding farming district. One of its main attractions is the heritage railway, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which operates steam locomotives and one of only two Model T Ford railcar replicas in the world. It attracts about 10,000 people a year.
South IslandOne of the two main New Zealand islandsThe South Island (official alternative name Te Waipounamu, from Māori) is the larger of the two main islands of New Zealand by surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. With a population of 1,256,700 as of June 2025, the South Island is home to 24% of New Zealand's 5.3 million inhabitants. The most populous cities are Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and Invercargill.
Geraldine, New ZealandGeraldine (Māori: Heratini) is a town in the Canterbury region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 140 km south of Christchurch, and inland from Timaru, which is 38 km to the south. Geraldine is located on State Highway 79 between the Orari and Hae Hae Te Moana Rivers and 45 kilometres to the east of Fairlie.
South CanterburySouth Canterbury is the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the southern catchment boundary of the Waitaki River (the border with the Otago Region) to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the Southern Alps form natural boundaries to the east and west respectively.
TimaruTimaru (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 South Canterbury, and the third-largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch and Rolleston.
Rolleston, New ZealandRolleston (Māori: Roretana, Tauwharekākaho) is the seat and largest town in the Selwyn District, in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-west of Christchurch, and is part of the wider . Rolleston is one of the fastest growing towns in New Zealand, having grown from a population of around 2,800 in 2001 to around 28,000 in 2023.
ChristchurchChristchurch ( ; Māori: Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island and the second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of 407,800, and a metropolitan population of 556,500. It is located in the Canterbury Region, near the centre of the east coast of the South Island, east of the Canterbury Plains.
Canterbury RegionCanterbury (Māori: Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of 44,503.88 square kilometres (17,183.04 sq mi), making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of 698,200 (June 2025). The region in its current form was established in 1989 during nationwide local government reforms.
DunedinCity in Otago, New ZealandCity in Otago, New ZealandDunedin ( ; Māori: Ōtepoti) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from Dùn Èideann ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. With an estimated population of 132,800 as of June 2025, Dunedin is New Zealand’s seventh most populous metropolitan and urban area.
TemukaTemuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town. It lies on the north bank of the Temuka River, just above its confluence with the Ōpihi River. Temuka is the second largest town in South Canterbury after Timaru. Temuka is home to three schools, two primary schools and one secondary school.
Māori languagePolynesian language spoken in New ZealandMāori (Māori:; endonym: te reo Māori, 'the Māori language', also shortened to te reo) is an Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost member of the Austronesian language family, it is related to Cook Islands Māori, Moriori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.