Canterbury

Canterbury accommodation climbs from Pacific surf to the Southern Alps, with baches and cottages around Christchurch, Lyttelton and Akaroa. Crossing the region is half the pleasure, with braided rivers and big-sky plains between stops.

On Banks Peninsula, Akaroa’s harbour shelters the small Hector’s dolphin, and the winding hill road in deserves an unhurried drive. Lyttelton keeps its own rhythm behind the Port Hills, with a working harbour and a busy Saturday market.

North of Christchurch, Kaiapoi sits where the Kaiapoi River joins the Waimakariri, the first stop on the road toward Kaikōura. Out on the plains, farm cottages sit under a sky that takes up most of the view, with the mountains a morning drive from almost anywhere in the region.