Located on the east coast of the South Island’s Canterbury region, Timaru was built upon rolling hills created by the lava flows of an extinct volcano, Mt. Horrible. Maori tribes were believed to have settled in the area before 1400 AD. You can view rock carvings of these earliest inhabitants on a guided tour. Timaru boasts many fantastic vistas of the ocean and surrounding mountains and is an ideal base from which to explore the history, culture and natural beauty of the region.