Canterbury, New Zealand’s largest plain, is one of three dominant features of this landscape. The others are the Southern Alps and the great braided rivers that run from their slopes to the sea. The area is dry and mild, with the exception of the Alps and their foothills, where alpine climates kick in. Cold south-easterly and fierce foehn winds from the north-west both have an influence on agriculture throughout the region.

The plain lands were originally covered with lowland mixed forest. They were burned after the arrival of Maori and by 1840 the region became essentially grassland, with large areas of wetland around what is now Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru. The volcanic remnant of Banks Peninsula marks a striking exception to the otherwise singular landscape of the region and provides the only sheltered coast.

Game is spectacular in the alpine regions and pastoral farming dominates the plains.

Contemporary, distinctive regional foods include: game such as chamois, red deer, hare, rabbit, tahr in Mt Cook vicinity, wallaby in the Hunter Hills, salmon and porcini. Farming includes game birds, pig, lamb, tussock-grown cattle and wethers, cervena (red deer) and fresh water salmon. Crops are truffles, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, asparagus, moimoi and grain. Products include wine (pinot noir, riesling, chardonnay) and artisan bread.