Ashburton is an attractive town with stately trees, elegant gardens, outstanding museums and superb fishing rivers brim-full of salmon and sea-run trout. The town is an important service centre on the banks of the Ashburton River, a one hour drive south of Christchurch.
In a high mountain pass on the main divide of the Southern Alps lies a picturesque alpine village. Arthur’s Pass got its name by a very practical process. Arthur Dobson made the first survey of the pass in 1864.
Alexandra is the Spring Blossom Festival town in the golden heart of Central Otago. This attractive town nestles at the head of Lake Roxburgh and is affectionately called ‘Alex’, by the locals.
Akaroa has an otherworldly character - a French colonial village nestling in a picturesque harbour in a remote corner of the Pacific. This charming seaside settlement is found in French Bay on Banks Peninsula, some 80 km from Christchurch.
The first town established on the remote West Coast still retains its colonial atmosphere, while developing as a base for today’s ‘wet and wild’ outdoor adventures. Westport began as a single trading post on the banks of the Buller River.
Rangiora, 27km north of Christchurch, in the heart of Waimakariri District, is a bustling town, well known for its country atmosphere and shopping. The town is the nucleus of a very prosperous agricultural, horticultural, fruit-growing, forestry and mixed farming area.
Woodend is a service town, surrounded by lush farmland and a great variety of lifestyle blocks. Named after an early settler, Thomas Woodend, the town is just 26km north of Christchurch and offers accommodation and meals to passing travellers on S.H.1.
Oxford, a rural town on the Inland Scenic Route 72, is the perfect place to appreciate the mountain scenery and seasonal beauty of the North Canterbury Plains. Named after the university city of Oxford, this farming town of 1,600 people, was a saw-milling centre until 1898.
Ohoka is only 15 minutes drive from Christchurch - one of the closest rural areas to the city. It sits on the extensive fertile plains between the Ashley and Waimakariri rivers, which are fast developing as specialist farms and lifestyle blocks.
Loburn is a peaceful rural area nestled under the foothills, on the Rangiora to Oxford road via Glentui. It lies near the junction of the Ashley and Okuku rivers in ‘Lifestyle block country.’
Cust is an attractive township on the Inland Scenic Route 72, half-way between Oxford and Rangiora. Route 72 is a popular travelling road between Geraldine and Amberley, which provides wonderful views of the Southern Alps and pastoral Canterbury.
Ashley is a quiet village on the banks of the Ashley River, just minutes away from its busy neighbour, Rangiora. The picturesque Ashley River looks very inviting on a bright summer’s day and locals make the most of the swimming holes and picnic spots along the willow-lined banks.
