It wasn’t long ago that New Zealanders maligned the town of Twizel, just south of Lake Pukaki. The town was built in 1968 to service construction of the nearby hydroelectric power station, and was due to be abandoned in 1984 when the construction project was completed. Now the town’s tenacious residents are having the last laugh as house prices are increasing and new lakeside subdivisions are being built to take advantage of the area’s relaxed lakes and mountains lifestyle. Mt Cook is just 63km down the road, and Twizel’s range of affordable accommodation and a few good eateries make it a good alternative to staying in more expensive Mt Cook Village. Twizel as a travellers’ nirvana. Who would have thought?
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The port city of Timaru is a handy stopping-off point halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin. Many travellers prefer to kick on 85km further south to the smaller, more charming Oamaru, but a few good restaurants and Timaru’s good-value motels means it’s worthy of a spot of travellers’ R & R. The town’s name comes from the Maori name Te Maru, meaning ‘The Place of Shelter’. No permanent settlement existed here until 1839 when the Weller brothers from Sydney set up a whaling station. The Caroline, a sailing ship that picked up whale oil, gave the picturesque bay its name.
SH1 heading south from Christchurch along the coast passes through the port city of Timaru on its way to Dunedin and carries a lot of traffic. The inland route along SH8 is also busy, but comes with the added no-cost attraction of the stunning landscapes of the Mackenzie Country. Studded with the intense blue lakes of Tekapo and Ohau, SH80 veers off at Twizel in the Mackenzie Country to hug Lake Pukaki all the way to the magnificent heights of Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park.
From Christchurch, SH1 heads north for 57km through Woodend and Amberley to Waipara. From here SH1 continues northeast to Kaikoura, while SH7 branches due north to Hurunui through flat farming country and reaches Culverden. About 27km from Culverden is the turn-off from SH7 to Hanmer Springs, a thermal resort. The Alpine Pacific Triangle Touring Guide outlines things to see and do in this region. See www.hurunui.com.
Methven is busiest in winter, when it fills up with snow-sports fans heading to nearby Mt Hutt. If the hustle and bustle of travelling in NZ during the peak summer season is getting you down, Methven town is a laid-back option with quieter (and usually cheaper) accommodation than elsewhere in the country, and a ‘what shall I do today?’ range of warm-weather activities including ballooning, tramping, fishing and skydiving.
The expansive high ground from which the scenic peaks of Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park escalate is known as Mackenzie Country after the legendary James ‘Jock’ MacKenzie, who ran his stolen flocks in this then-uninhabited region in the 1840s. When he was finally caught, other settlers realised the potential of the land and followed in his footsteps. The first people to traverse the Mackenzie were the Maori, trekking from Banks Peninsula to Otago hundreds of years ago.
Southeast of Christchurch are the prominent Port Hills, which slope down to the city’s port at Lyttelton Harbour. Christchurch’s first European settlers landed here in 1850 to embark on their historic trek over the hills. With attractive heritage architecture and eclectic café-bars, it’s now a popular weekend get-away and dining destination for in-the-know foodies. Lyttleton is still a working port, and the raffish charm of the old waterfront pubs contrasts with the gentrifying scene just up the hill along London St.
At the southern end of its namesake lake, this town has unobstructed views across turquoise water, and a backdrop of rolling hills and mountains worthy of a Peter Jackson movie. The town has boomed in recent times, with new B&Bs, holiday homes and resort accommodation taking advantage of the epic vistas.
Hanmer Springs, the main thermal resort on the South Island, is 10km off SH7. Visitors swell the population year-round, as Hanmer is a weekend destination for Christchurch folk. It’s a pleasantly low-key spot to indulge in pampering in the hot pools and a flash new spa complex. Grown-ups will enjoy a couple of good restaurants, and family-friendly activities include forest walks, minigolf, horse treks and jetboating.
The good people of Canterbury are probably only half-joking when they say it would be good if the South Island was a separate country, but when you consider the region surrounding them you can understand their parochial pride and confidence.