$100k Timaru tourism website launched after long delay
A new $100,000 website promoting the Timaru District is up and running after a long delay – and locals are encouraged to contribute, the council says.
Aorakitourism.co.nz launched under the radar month.
A council spokesman said the new site pulled in information from other websites such as Trip Advisor to provide visitors with a was last guide to the Timaru District.
It was originally planned to be up and running by last summer, but the Timaru District Council delayed the launch until the Aoraki Tourism body was officially launched in April.
A Google search for the words ‘‘Timaru’’ and ‘‘tourism’’ did not bring the website up in the first page of results, but the spokesman said the council was still working on search engine optimisation.
The website was linked to Tourism NZ and council site Aoraki Development, and would eventually be linked to the council’s main site.
Aoraki Tourism industry partnerships manager Henrietta Hazlett was encouraging businesses around the town to participate.
‘‘We recently have sent out a membership prospectus to the operators through which we can further help promote the region by collaborating on marketing strategies,’’ Hazlett said in a statement.
The website featured accommodation, events, activities, eateries, and the best places to get coffee and included an ‘‘ask a local’’ section.
It was ‘‘bare bones’’ at the moment but as people visited the site and put their own ideas into the mix the council anticipated the site would become more comprehensive, the spokesman said.
The slogan for the website was ‘‘Timaru District: Surprisingly Full of Opportunities’’.
The Aoraki Development website, launched last year, also proved difficult to find initially, and did not come up when people searched for ‘‘Timaru’’ and business-related keywords.
South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce chief executive Wendy Smith declined to comment on the new tourism site and said the chamber managed and ran the South Canterbury regional website southcanterbury.org.nz.
‘‘The objective of the site is as a portal to South Canterbury, achieving an average 10,000 monthly visits from countries annually.
It continues to appear at the top of Google searches for our region with excellent engagement,’’ Smith said in a statement.
Smith said the website had been in operation since 2010 ‘‘providing a snapshot of our diverse and thriving region.’’
She said the website would continue to be managed by the chamber with no cost to ratepayers. over 150
Truck rolls on Lindis
A truck driver escaped with minor injuries after the truck he was driving rolled on the Lindis Pass on Wednesday. A police spokeswoman said the incident happened on State Highway 8, about 5 kilometres from the summit, at 11pm. An ambulance crew tended to the driver at the scene, she said. No detours were available until the road partially reopened about 8.45am. The road fully reopened by 10.30am, but motorists were advised to take extra care due to ice and grit.
Three escape crash
Three people escaped injury after a car crash near Timaru on Wednesday night. Southern Fire Communications duty shift manager Brent Dunn said the car crashed at the junction of Falvey and Hedley Rds on State Highway 1 at 10.16pm. All three occupants were out of the car when a crew from Washdyke arrived and none suffered any injuries, he said.
Police notebook
A man who was caught by a Timaru District Council camera getting into a vehicle on George St about 4.57pm on Wednesday has been charged with driving while disqualified.
Police found a small amount of cannabis on a 22-year-old Timaru man when they stopped him on Elizabeth St at 11.49pm on Wednesday. His vehicle was searched after failing a drug impairment test. Blood was taken from the man to be tested.
A Timaru man was charged with shoplifting at Mitre 10 at 5.30pm on Wednesday.