Top 5 things to do
Pleasant Point Museum and Railway
Rated as one of New Zealand’s best preservation railways, they run fully operational steam locomotives – including the 1922 locomotive Ab699 – and a rare replica of a Model T Ford Railcar.
There are museum exhibits at each end of the 2.4km long railway line that runs alongside the highway; it was part of the original Timaru to Fairlie railway line which was decommissioned in 1968.
Rides on the steam train or the railcar are a favourite with kids and adults alike, as are the classic cartoon movies and museums.
A few highlights of Pleasant Point
A must do in while you are here is try a real fruit ice cream from Strawberry Divine. Pick your fruit and see them mix before your eyes with vanilla ice cream.
Pleasant Point is home to colonies of native Long-Tailed Bats. They are tiny and elusive but keep an eye out for bat roost trees.
Grab lunch at the historic Pleasant Point Hotel. Originally opened in 1864 as an accommodation house for waggoners travelling from Timaru to Fairlie, The Pleasant Point Hotel is the hub of the small rural community.