Timaru is a port city in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand, 157 km (98 mi) southwest of Christchurch and about 196 km (122 mi) northeast of Dunedin, on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The urban area's population of 29,300 people is the largest in South Canterbury, and the third-largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch and Rolleston. The town is the seat of the Timaru District, which includes the surrounding rural area and the towns of Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Temuka, which combined have a total population of 49,500.