Things To Do in Timaru: 10 Fun Activity Ideas

Located halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand’s South Island, Timaru is the perfect town to stop and explore on your way down the eastern coast. Here is a Timaru travel guide with ten of the most fun activities and things to do around town during your stay.

How to get to Timaru

Timaru is located just about halfway down the South Island’s eastern coast. It is easily reachable and sits at the crossroads of State Highways 1 and 8. Timaru is also the largest city in South Canterbury, providing links to smaller towns like Geraldine, Fairlie, and Temuka.

Driving times from:

• Christchurch: 2 hours
• Dunedin: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Queenstown: 4 hours

Things to do in Timaru

Explore Caroline Bay

Caroline Bay is a large park and beach located in the heart of town. It’s the perfect place to splash in the water or have a mid-day picnic with some friends. The park also features a playground, some outdoor gym equipment, beach volleyball courts, and a skate park.

At Caroline Bay, you can walk the boardwalks, stroll through the rose garden, check out the view from the beach lookout, and try to spot some penguins (see below). Between Boxing Day and mid-January, you can also attend the annual Caroline Bay Carnival. It has games, rides, live performances, and sideshow acts.

Watch penguins return to their burrows

Caroline Bay is one of the places on the South Island where you can see the smallest penguins in the world, the Little Blue Penguins (also known as Korora in Maori). You can find their nests among the rocks at the easternmost corner of Caroline Bay beach. The penguins are most active at sunrise and sunset, which is when they come ashore from the water.

Where to spot them: Marine Parade, Caroline Bay (look out for a penguin crossing sign)

Go shopping down Stafford Street

Since Timaru is the closest city to us from Twizel, we always make a point to go to several shops during our visit. Stafford Street is a commercial street with beautifully ornate buildings located just a few steps from Caroline Bay. Here, you can find clothing, jewelry, and shoe stores, as well as plenty of restaurants and cafes.

Some of my favorite shops:

• Ballantynes
• Glassons
• Whitcoulls bookstore

Check out the Te Ana Māori Rock Art site

The Te Ana Māori Rock Art site aims to preserve and protect the ancient rock art (or cave art) of the Ngāi Tahu iwi. The types of art on display were either carved into limestone or painted on using a mixture of animal or bird fat and red ochre. These drawings date back tens of thousands of years!

The site offers guided tours and other educational events.

Address: 2 George Street, Timaru

Visit the South Canterbury Museum

The South Canterbury Museum has exhibits on natural history, geography, and the environment. Some of the things you can expect to see (among many) include fossils, Maori rock art, and Edwardian-era clothing.

Address: 4 Perth Street, Timaru

Have brunch at a cafe

No Timaru travel guide (or travel guide in general) would be complete without a few brunch recommendations. There are lots of spots to choose from, many of which are located on Stafford Street.

Some of my favorite cafes include:

• Replenish Cafe
• Sopheze
• The Grindhouse Cafe
• Coffee Culture

Shop the Timaru Farmers Market

The Timaru Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 9 am to 12:30 pm. You can find fresh, seasonal produce, hot and ready meals, and tons of locally-produced goodies. There is also a wide variety of artisan crafts like hand-sewn accessories and recycled furniture.

Address: 2 George Street, Timaru

Check out the Aigantighe Art Gallery

The Aigantighe (pronounced like “egg and tie”) Art Gallery has collections of New Zealand, Pacific, Asian, and European art dating back to the 16th century. There is also a sculpture garden with pieces made from white limestone mined nearby. The gallery is the third-largest on New Zealand’s South Island and the entire building sits on a homestead from 1908.

Address: 49 Wai-Iti Road, Maori Hill, Timaru

Explore the Timaru Botanic Gardens

The Timaru Botanic Gardens, recognized as a Garden of National Significance, include over 19 hectares (47 acres) of plants, flowers, and green space. Built in 1864, the gardens are now open 24 hours a day to pedestrian traffic. You can find ornamental ponds, an aviary, threatened plant collections, and a world-renowned rose garden. It’s the perfect place to appreciate nature and take a stroll on a nice day.

Address: Queen Street, Parkside, Timaru

Have a drink at DB Draught Brewery

DB Draught, part of the Heineken company, are makers of the famous Kiwi beers Monteith’s and Tui. Located just a few minutes outside Timaru, the brewery offers tours and tasting sessions. On a tour, you can expect to learn about the brewing process from start to finish, see a bit of history at the Museum of Beer, and quench your thirst afterwards with a sampling.

Side note to all the Americans out there: “draught” is pronounced just like “draft.” For some reason they’re spelled differently!

Address: Washdyke, Timaru

You’ll also enjoy:

• The Best Places to Visit on New Zealand’s South Island: A Definitive List
• Hiking the Lake Benmore Peninsula Track
• All the Best Things To Do in Aix-en-Provence, France

Thanks for reading this post on 10 fun things to do in Timaru! Check out the rest of my New Zealand posts for more travel inspiration.

xoxo Niki