The Canterbury region covers much of the central east coast of the South Island. The area is home to the sprawling Canterbury Plains, the spectacular Arthur’s Pass, Lake Tekapo and the Southern Alps including the majestic Aoraki/Mount Cook – New Zealand’s tallest mountain. It is a varied landscape of farms, wineries, ski resorts and coastal towns.
Christchurch is the main city in the region, and the South Island’s largest. It attracts crowds of tourists year-round, and has plenty of things to keep you busy. The Banks Peninsula is a huge, rugged landmass left over from a volcano, and is a great place to explore, walk, surf, or chill out in one of its small bay villages. Kaikoura is a cute coastal town with excellent water sports and marine life activities and Hanmer Springs is popular for its thermal pools and alpine setting.
There are heaps of activities to choose from in the Canterbury region. If you are in New Zealand on a working holiday, there are also many places to find fruit picking and vineyard work.
