Timaru cruise port guide
Strolling along the city’s hilly streets and past its Edwardian and Victorian buildings and green spaces, you might not guess that Timaru was built on the lava flows of a now-extinct but vividly named volcano, Mount Horrible. Timaru’s own name comes from the Maori Te Maru, which means \"place of shelter.\" Chief among Timaru’s charms are its parks and gardens. As if the backdrop of the Southern Alps wasn't enough, a rose garden, boardwalk and beach also enliven the already beautiful waterfront of Caroline Bay, named for a 19th-century whaling ship. Up the hill, the scenic reserve of Centennial Park offers picturesque picnic spots and walking and biking trails. Timaru showcases New Zealand and Maori culture at the stellar Aigantighe Art Gallery and South Canterbury Museum. (If you have time to venture beyond Timaru and are interested in learning about the area's truly ancient history, the fascinating Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre, about half an hour outside the city, exhibits rock art made by early Maori settlers more than 700 years ago.)
About Timaru
Timaru is a port city on the South Island of New Zealand's Canterbury coast, with a safe artificial harbour. The town is known as the gateway to the Mackenzie Basin, a region of turquoise glacial lakes and the dark-sky Mt John Observatory. The South Canterbury Museum and the Aigantighe Art Gallery are the main cultural attractions in town.
Quick facts
Cruises visiting Timaru
Prices per person · incl. taxes & fees.
Sailing soonest
Canada To New Zealand Grand Voyage
Azamara Pursuit · Australia · 114 nights
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Japan To New Zealand Grand Voyage
Azamara Pursuit · Oceania · 78 nights
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Australia & New Zealand Cruise: Hobart, Wellington & Tauranga
Azamara Pursuit · Australia · 15 nights
from $5,099
$339 / night
14-Day Australia & New Zealand from Sydney
Norwegian Spirit · New Zealand · 14 nights
from $2,719
$194 / night
18-Day Australia & New Zealand from Sydney
Norwegian Spirit · New Zealand · 18 nights
from $2,889
$160 / night
145-Day World Cruise: Australia & South Pacific Panorama
Seabourn Quest · Australia · 145 nights
from $84,979
$586 / night
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Showing 37 Timaru cruises
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