Welcome 2 Canterbury

The Canterbury Plains, as the province is also known, stretch from the Conway River in the north, just south of Kaikoura, to the great Waitaki River in the south, just north of Oamaru. The flat plains stretch from the Pacific Ocean in the east to Southern Alps in the west, broken only by the volcanic Banks Peninsula.

Kaikoura lies on a narrow coastal plain between high mountains and the Pacific Ocean. In places along this coast the mountains drop almost straight into the sea, with barely enough flat land for a single railway line, two lane road and rocky beach to be accommodated and even then some short tunnels are needed on corners. The steepness of the mountains reflects the underwater geography as well and the continental shelf edge lies just offshore here. This causes the ocean around Kaikoura to be rich in sea life and attracts seals, whales (and humans) to the area to partake in the bounty of the sea.

The Southern Alps are a range of mountains that run the length of the South Island of New Zealand. The mountain range have been likened to the Alps of Europe. The highest peak is Aoraki Mount Cook at 12,349 (approx.) ft

The Southern Alps also play a significant part in sizing the geography of New Zealand. What would be considered mountains in other parts of the world are considered mere hills in New Zealand, once compared to the Southern Alps.