Editing Timaru (section)

{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                         = Timaru
| native_name                  = {{native name|mi|Te Tihi-o-Maru}}
| native_name_lang             = 
| settlement_type              = City
| total_type                   = District
| image_skyline                = Timaru-Stafford.St.jpg
| imagesize                    = 250px
| image_alt                    = 
| image_caption                = View down Stafford Street in 2006
| image_map                    = 
| map_alt                      = 
| map_caption                  = 
| pushpin_map                  = New Zealand
| pushpin_label_position       = 
| pushpin_map_alt              = 
| pushpin_map_caption          = 
| coordinates                  = {{coord|44|23|35|S|171|15|03|E|region:NZ|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes        = 
| subdivision_type             = Country
| subdivision_name             = New Zealand
| subdivision_type1            = [[Regions of New Zealand|Region]]
| subdivision_name1            = [[Canterbury Regional Council|Canterbury]]
| subdivision_type2            = [[Territorial authorities of New Zealand|Territorial authority]]
| subdivision_name2            = [[Timaru District]]
| established_title            = Established
| established_date             = 13 July 1868<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McLintock |first1=Alexander Hare  |publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga|title=TIMARU |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/timaru |access-date=2021-09-02 |website=An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966. |language=en}}</ref>
| leader_title                 = [[Mayor of Timaru|Mayor]]
| leader_name                  = Nigel Bowen
| elevation_footnotes          = 
| elevation_min_m              = 0
| elevation_max_m              = 95
| population_footnotes         = {{NZ population data 2018||||y}}
| population_urban             = {{NZ population data 2018|Timaru|y}}
| population_as_of             = {{NZ population data 2018|||y}}
| population_note              = 
| area_total_km2               = 
| area_land_km2                = 2,736.54
| timezone1                    = [[Time in New Zealand|New Zealand Standard Time]]
| utc_offset1                  = +12
| timezone1_DST                = [[Time in New Zealand|New Zealand Daylight Time]]
| utc_offset1_DST              = +13
| postal_code_type             = [[Postcodes in New Zealand|Postcode]]
| postal_code                  = 7910
| area_code_type               = 
| area_code                    = 
| website                      = [http://www.timaru.govt.nz/ timaru.govt.nz]
| footnotes                    = 
| blank_name                   = Local [[iwi]]
| blank_info                   = [[Ngāi Tahu]]
| official_name                = 
| area_urban_km2               = 33.98
| population_density_urban_km2 = auto
}}
'''Timaru''' ({{IPAc-en|lang|pron|ˈ|t|ɪ|m|ə|r|uː}};<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/timaru |title=the definition of Timaru}}</ref> {{langx|mi|Te Tihi-o-Maru}}) is a port city in the southern [[Canterbury Region]] of New Zealand, located {{cvt|157|km|mi}} southwest of [[Christchurch]] and about {{cvt|196|km|mi}} northeast of [[Dunedin]] on the eastern [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] coast of the [[South Island]]. The Timaru urban area is home to {{NZ population data 2018|Timaru|y}} people, and is the largest urban area in [[South Canterbury]], and the third-largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch and [[Rolleston, New Zealand|Rolleston]].<ref name="NZ_population_data_2018" /> The town is the seat of the [[Timaru District]], which includes the surrounding rural area and the towns of [[Geraldine, New Zealand|Geraldine]], [[Pleasant Point, New Zealand|Pleasant Point]] and [[Temuka]], which combined have a total population of {{NZ population data 2018|Timaru district|y}}.<ref name="NZ_population_data_2018" />

[[Caroline Bay]] beach is a popular recreational area located close to Timaru's main centre, just to the north of the substantial port facilities. Beyond Caroline Bay, the [[industrial suburb]] of [[Washdyke]] is at a major junction with [[State Highway 8 (New Zealand)|State Highway 8]], the main route into the [[Mackenzie Basin|Mackenzie Country]]. This provides a road link to [[Pleasant Point, New Zealand|Pleasant Point]], [[Fairlie, New Zealand|Fairlie]], [[Twizel]], [[Lake Tekapo]], [[Aoraki / Mount Cook]] and [[Queenstown, New Zealand|Queenstown]].

Timaru has been built on rolling hills created from the lava flows of the extinct Mt Horrible volcano, which last erupted thousands of years ago. The result is that most of the main streets are undulating, a clear contrast with the flat landscape of the [[Canterbury Plains]] to the north. This volcanic rock is used for the construction of local "[[bluestone]]" buildings.