Destination guides > Pacific Islands > New Zealand > Canterbury > Geraldine
Geraldine
About 40 minutes north of Timaru on the scenic inland route, Geraldine is a pleasant farming town that makes a quiet alternative to Timaru. The area around Geraldine offers white water rafting and great walking trails through lowland podocarp forest. The Rangitata River Valley has spectacular alpine scenery and was the location for some of the Lord of the Rings scenes.
The town itself has an evident artistic flair with craft shops lining the main street, and it has nice rose gardens and an historic cinema. It is also home to the Historical Museum and the excellent Vintage Car and Machinery Museum.
Practical information
Geraldine i-SITE Visitor Centre
Corner Talbot & Cox Streets, Geraldine
Tel (03) 693 1006
Website www.southisland.org.nz
Coming & going
Buses stop in Geraldine en route between Christchurch and Queenstown.
Atomic Shuttles (tel (03) 349 0697), InterCity Coachlines (tel (03) 365 1113) and Naked Bus stop outside the i-SITE Visitor Centre at the corner of Cox and Talbot Streets. Southern Link K Bus (tel (03) 358 8355 or 0508 458 835) stops outside Oaks Restaurant (72 Talbot Street, Geraldine).
Hostel accommodation
Peel Forest Homestays
33 Rangitata Gorge Road, Peel Forest, Geraldine
Rawhiti Backpackers
27 Hewlings Street, Geraldine
Tel (03) 693 8252
Sightseeing, museums & tourist attractions
Geraldine Historical Society Museum
Geraldine’s small museum has exhibits of local history including a manual telephone exchange.
5 Cox Street, Geraldine
Tel (03) 693 7028
Admission free
Open Mon-Sat 10am-noon & 1.30pm-3.30pm, Sun 1.30pm-3.30pm
Geraldine Vintage Car & Machinery Museum
This transport museum has 1400 exhibits including a 1929 Spartan biplan and 101 tractors including the oldest working tractor in New Zealand.
178 Talbot Street, Geraldine
Tel (03) 693 8756
Admission $5
Open Jan-May & Nov-Dec 10am-4pm daily
