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Ashburton is the New Black - A New Look Guide to this Mid Canterbury Town

Plates of food and cocktails on a table.
Story Mid Canterbury
Just over an hour south of Ōtautahi Christchurch sits the rural township of Hakatere Ashburton. Servicing a greater area of Mid Canterbury, this is where the coast, the mountains, the rivers and the rural landscape meet. For many Cantabrians, this is a town you pass through along journeys north or south, but scratch the surface, and you’ll find much more to Ashburton than you see along the highway.

Station Coffee

The cafe interior of Station Coffee in Methven.
Place Mid Canterbury Methven
Cafes key icon.

Station Coffee on Methven's Forest Drive began life as a little white trailer parked across from the Blue Pub.

Cafe 45

The etnrance to Cafe 45 Methven.
Place Mid Canterbury Methven
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Stand on the corner of Methven's Forest Drive and McMillan Street and two sights are hard to miss: the hulking peaks of the Southern Alps,...

Amara Bar & Snackery

Close up of a hand holding a pink cocktail.
Place Mid Canterbury Methven
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City-calibre cocktails aren't what most people expect in the foothills, but Amara Bar & Snackery on Methven's Main Street makes a convincing case.

Aqua

Chopsticks reaching for food.
Place Mid Canterbury Methven
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Under a thatched awning and two red lanterns on Methven's Main Street you can find Aqua, and the type of Japanese food a high country town...

The Staveley Store
Place Mid Canterbury Staveley
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Sitting pretty on Burgess Road in the shade of Mt Somers, the red-roofed Staveley Store has anchored its village since around 1876.

Triangle Espresso

The painted black brick exterior of Triangle Espresso in Ashburton.
Place Mid Canterbury Ashburton
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Triangle Espresso is a landmark of Ashburton’s up-and-coming Triangle District.

The Rabbit, Ashburton

A man and woman standing in the entrance of The Rabbit restaurant, cafe and bar in Ashburton.
Place Mid Canterbury Ashburton
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The Rabbit is an exciting eatery in the heart of The Triangle in Ashburton.

Smoke Restaurant, Ashburton

The large bar area inside Smoke restaurant in Ashburton.
Place Mid Canterbury Ashburton
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Ashburton's Smoke restaurant is a carnivore's haven specialising in American low and slow barbeque.

Cleavers Corner

A fake green wall inside a large restaurant.
Place Mid Canterbury Ashburton
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Cleavers Corner is the locals' go-to in Ashburton.

The Cakelady, Ashburton

The black and glass exterior of The Cakelady in Ashburton.
Place Mid Canterbury Ashburton
Cafes key icon.

Tharina Nel is the Cakelady of Ashburton. A self-taught baker of incredible creations, she can whip up just about anything you can imagine.