Mount Somers ... catch your breath

You'll find Mount Somers Village located approximately 40 km northwest of Ashburton and about 100 km southwest of Christchurch.

The Village and its neighbouring settlements of Staveley and Alford Forest contain some of the most beautiful scenery in the Canterbury region with an abundance of walkways and scenic attractions to be found.

The area is renowned for its geological diversity and rich mineral resources including coal, limestone and silica sand.  Mount Somers limestone is highly sought after by sculptors who value its density, enabling them to create works with clean, sharp lines.  Semi-precious stones such as agate are mined locally to make beautiful jewellery pieces.

These local resources are the inspiration for our biennial Minerals to Art Festival.

Mount Somers village is a delightful location with a small but growing population and an ever-increasing number of holiday homes.  A unique combination of small businesses thrive alongside the mining and quarrying industries in this progressive farming area.

The Mount Somers village is the gateway to the Ashburton Gorge and the recently opened Hakatere Conservation Park, with its 68,000 hectares of stunning high country land, offering boating, swimming, tramping, climbing, skiing, hunting, mountain biking, picnicing, camping, horse riding and fishing.  The popular Mount Somers Sub Alpine Walkway which forms part of the new Hakatere Conservation Park is acknowledged as one of New Zealand's Top 10 Walkways.