Introducing Timaru
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.
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Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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Timaru
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Timaru Overview
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