With a range of activities both within Timaru and around it, a car rental is the best way to get about. Rather than approaching each hire company in the area for prices and vehicle model availability, let Airport Rentals do the hard work for you online and leave yourself more time for your holiday.
Simply enter your pick-up and drop-off dates for your time in the city to see all available rental cars at Timaru Airport from Auto Europe and Avis. You’ll easily be able to scroll through the options to compare prices and find a set of wheels that best suits your needs.
Your hire comes with a lowest-price guarantee and round-the-clock customer service if you have any further questions or queries while you’re on the road. Plus, if you cancel or change your mind on your rental, we don’t charge for most cars.
Out and about in Timaru
Timaru may be small, but it will leave a big imprint on your memory of your New Zealand holiday.
One of the biggest features of the city is its cultural heritage. The Ngai Tahu first inhabited the land around 800 years ago and you can see much of this history in the area. There are approximately 250 rock art sites within a half hour’s drive, depicting everything from people, fish, birds and the dragon-like taniwha. Make a trip to the Te Ana Ngai Tahu Rock Art Centre for an in-depth look. The South Canterbury Museum is another nod to the area’s history, documenting natural history, Maori culture, European settlement and more.
No visit to Timaru is complete without a day spent at the sandy beach of Caroline Bay. Relax as you wander along the boardwalks, refresh with a coffee from the thriving cafe scene or pick up a souvenir from the shops. Each year, one of Timaru’s premier events is the Caroline Bay Carnival held in summer. The festival is several days of rides, free concerts, stalls and carnival attractions.
If you arrive in Timaru in winter, make the most of the city’s proximity to the Southern Alps and take a day trip to a nearby skifield. Mt Dobson is one of the closest and offers a large area for learners if it’s your first time on the snow!
Timaru Airport
The airport for Timaru is called Richard Pearse Airport, named after a New Zealand inventor who created a design for a monoplane in 1902.
Located 12.6 kilometres from central Timaru, the airport is a quick drive to town after you pick up your car rental from the kiosk in the arrivals hall.
Timaru is about halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin so you have plenty of activities you can do within just a few hours drive. Hop on car hire in Queenstown or head to Christchurch which is also within reach. If you decide to go further South, you will reach Invercargill with your rental car, and from there you can hop on a ferry to Stewart Island for some great opportunity to meet with the kiwi.
Be sure to look at car rentals from the likes of Whangarei, or Dunedin, or Hamilton, and explore more of New Zealand.
