Canterbury Region – plains, alps and the region formed in 1989
Canterbury's character was written into the land long before people arrived: the greywacke basement rocks of the Southern Alps, the great gravel fans spread out by rain, snow and ice, and the volcanic rock that punched through sediment to the surface. On that foundation the distinctive plants and animals of Aotearoa New Zealand developed over immense spans of time. The region in its present form dates from the nationwide local government reforms of 1989, and the Kaikōura District joined in 1992 after the Nelson-Marlborough Regional Council was abolished. Covering more than 44,500 square kilometres, Canterbury is the country's largest region by area, with Christchurch as its seat. Share your own memories, stories and photographs with us.