Waimate

Waimate
Town
Coordinates: 44°44′02″S 171°02′47″E / 44.7340°S 171.0465°E / -44.7340; 171.0465
Country	New Zealand
Island	South Island
District	Waimate District
Ward	Waimate Ward
Electorates	Waitaki Te Tai Tonga (Māori)
Government
• Territorial authority	Waimate District Council
• Regional council	Environment Canterbury
• Mayor of Waimate	Craig Rowley
• Waitaki MP	Miles Anderson
• Te Tai Tonga MP	Tākuta Ferris
Area [1]
• Urban area	8.01 km2 (3.09 sq mi)
Population  (June 2024)[2]
• Urban area	3,740
• Density	470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	7924
Area code	03
Website	www.waimate.org.nz

Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand, and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main North/South road. Waimate is 45.7 km south of Timaru, Canterbury's second city, 20 km north of the Waitaki River, which forms the border between Canterbury and the Otago province to the south and 47.5 km north of Oamaru, the main town of the Waitaki District.

Waimate is well known for its population of Bennett's wallabies. These marsupials were introduced from Australia and now live wild in the countryside surrounding the town. It is also recognised for the White Horse Monument which is a silhouette of a white horse that can be seen on the hills behind the town. It commemorates the Clydesdale horses that helped breaking in the land in earlier days. Visitors to the monument's lookout are rewarded with panoramic views of the town and the district's green plains out towards the Pacific Ocean.