Fairlie

The Pie Stop You Actually Plan Around

Fairlie is pretty much the pie capital of this stretch of road, and the Fairlie Bakehouse is the reason. It's been found, so yes it gets busy, but they move people through efficiently and the quality stays high. Worth stopping for, full stop.

Gateway to the Good Stuff

If you're heading in from Canterbury or coming back out toward Christchurch, Fairlie is where the scenery starts to shift. Leaving town on the way back, the big MacKenzie views fade and you're back into different country. The holiday park here is a solid base if you want to break the journey rather than push through.