Welcome to the official tourism website for the Central South Island of New Zealand.

Here you will be able to find all the tourist information you require to plan a visit to this spectacular region. Navigate your way around the various categories to find out why the Central South Island is the ideal destination for your next holiday. Including the towns of Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Peel Forest, the area is only two hours drive south of Christchurch and a similar drive to Dunedin and is the gateway to New Zealand’s most majestic mountains, including its highest peak Mt Cook. The region is developing a strong appeal to international visitors seeking an alternative itinerary to the traditional South Island tourism route.

For up coming events check out our Events Site. From the sea to the sky, the Central South Island encapsulates in one compact region the very best that New Zealand has to offer. Welcome to a place where the Pacific Ocean meets the fertile Canterbury Plains, a place where the magnificent Southern Alps provides a backdrop to almost every vista. With such a diversity of scenery on offer, there is something to appeal to every visitor. The locals know that they can be absorbing the beauty of the famed High Country in the morning and basking in the sand of Caroline Bay in Timaru in the afternoon – it’s a special feature of the area that they enjoy sharing with newcomers. This official Central South Island guide is compiled and maintained by Central South Island Tourism.