Exchange Zones

The views from the house are fantastic. You can see Mt Cook (New Zealand largest mountain) in the distance and Mt Hutt (Christchurch main ski destination) is also clearly visible from several rooms. On a clear day you can see over the Canterbury plains and bight right up to Banks peninsula. Timaru’s port with ships coming in and out complete the views.
There are 3 bedrooms with double beds and one with two single beds. The master bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom. A substantial country kitchen, dining room and huge lounge give a feeling of spaciousness. There is an office with computer and broadband internet facilities. There is a washing machine, dryer and dishwasher for convenience. The property has large rambling gardens with big lawns giving it a relaxing atmosphere. The peace and quiet can be eerie for people used to rambling cities and the night skies are incredible.
Shopping is 10 minutes away, Timaru boosts several supermarkets as well as individual shops in the main street (you can still park there for free) to cater for most tastes.
We have two cats which are getting a bit older. They can stay on the property during a swap. They have cat flap access to the garage and basically only need feeding once a day. Friends would be on hand to take over feeding if you were away for a weekend during the swap. Otherwise I could make arrangements to put them in a cattery.


Timaru is a rural support town halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin. Its main reason for being, is to process and ship produce grown in the area and provide services and supplies to the farms surrounding it. Timaru has a few older buildings and a self guided walk gets you around these. The city's most popular holiday spot is Caroline Bay, which attracts thousands each summer. The Bay is one of New Zealand's safest swimming beaches and there are plenty of other diversions including a maze, mini golf, children's paddling pool and playground.
The area around Timaru has some fantastic fishing in lakes and rivers. Trout and salmon (Season October-April) are caught and also whitebait can still be trapped 15 August to November 30. Hunters also prize the area for thar, deer, wild pigs and other wild life.
Winter is great for skiing with several fields about 1.5 hours drive away. You can visually check Mt Hutt before you take off so no wasted time here.
Autumn colours are superb in South Canterbury and North Otago and a favoured day trip of ours is the ride along the South Island hydro lakes, rivers and canals. This will take all day as long as you take regular stops for coffee and food, whatever you do, don’t rush it.
Weekend trips can take you to the Otago wineries, famous for their Pinot Noir and Rieslings. Trips to the Southern Alps and Mt Cook can be done in one day or a weekend. There are also many sites that were used in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy that are worth a visit. Nearby Tekapo is about to become the first “Night Sky World Heritage Site”. The observatory is open nightly to visitors. Tekapo is also a base for scenic flights over the Southern Alps. A little further Omarama is famous for gliding.