Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Budget Buses & Shuttles
( 03-615 5119;
www.budgetshuttles.co.nz
;
Mon-Sat)
Offers a door-to-door
shuttle to Christchurch ($57), along with a cheaper scheduled run ($47).
InterCity
( 03-365 1113;
www.intercity.co.nz
)
Daily coaches head to/from Christchurch (from
$32, 2¼ hours), Lake Tekapo (from $21, 1¼ hours), Mt Cook Village (from $38, three
hours), Cromwell (from $40, 4¾ hours) and Queenstown (from $42, 5¾ hours).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Timaru
POP 26,900
The port city of Timaru is a handy stopping-off point halfway between Christchurch and
Dunedin. Many travellers prefer to kick on 85km further south to the smaller, more
charming Oamaru, but Timaru has a few worthy attractions of its own. The town's name
comes from the Maori name Te Maru, meaning 'The Place of Shelter'. No permanent set-
tlement existed here until 1839, when the Weller brothers set up a whaling station. The
Caroline,
a sailing ship that transported whale oil, gave the picturesque bay its name.
