Scarborough, Canterbury Map

About Scarborough, Canterbury

Scarborough is a locality in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand. It is a small community with a population of 747. It sits at an elevation of around 118 m above sea level. It lies approximately 12 km east-southeast of Christchurch, the regional capital. Scarborough is located at 43.5746°S, 172.7714°E. It observes New Zealand Time (NZST/NZDT). Statistics New Zealand classifies the area as a rural settlement.

Scarborough’s coastline is a rugged embrace of the Pacific, where the relentless swell of Taylors Mistake crashes against dark, volcanic rock. It lies 12.0 km east-south-east of Christchurch (from Christchurch: bearing 112°T), and is situated 12.6 km south-south-east of Parklands. The air here carries the sharp tang of salt, a constant reminder of the ocean’s proximity, mingling with the scent of hardy coastal scrub that clings to the steep slopes. Inland, the land rises into rolling hills, their contours softened by time and the persistent sea breeze, a landscape sculpted by wind and water rather than dramatic upheaval. Gulls cry overhead, their calls a familiar soundtrack to the ebb and flow of the tide, and the occasional fishing boat can be seen bobbing in the small, sheltered coves that punctuate the shore.

The history of Scarborough is intrinsically linked to the sea and the hardy souls who first settled this exposed stretch of coast. Early industries revolved around fishing and the quarrying of stone, with the local economy now drawing strength from tourism and a burgeoning horticultural sector that thrives in the surprisingly fertile pockets of land. The Godley Head Walkway offers panoramic views, a testament to the enduring appeal of this dramatic setting, and the proximity to Sumner Head hints at a past where coastal defences and maritime activities played a significant role. Scarborough’s distinctiveness lies in this raw, elemental beauty, a place where the power of the ocean is a palpable presence, shaping both the land and the lives of its inhabitants.

About This Scarborough Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Scarborough, Canterbury, New Zealand at coordinates -43.57461, 172.77138. Use the Map and Satellite buttons to switch views, the plus and minus buttons to zoom, and Fullscreen to fill the screen.

Search Maps opens a second, independent map with four things the embedded map cannot do. It searches OpenStreetMap for any New Zealand town, suburb or landmark by name. It offers LINZ topographic maps as a base layer — the official Topo250 and Topo50 sheets, switching scale automatically as you zoom, and the standard reference for tramping, hunting and back-country travel. It offers LINZ aerial imagery down to 5cm resolution in urban areas. And it can take a single GPS fix from your device and report your position as both an NZTM2000 grid reference and plain latitude and longitude — the grid reference being what New Zealand search and rescue services work from. Map tiles require mobile coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map itself cannot load.

My Location & Navigate starts the vector-tile navigator: live turn-by-turn driving directions from your current position to any destination, with spoken guidance, lane hints and automatic re-routing.

Live weather conditions with current observations and a 7-day forecast are powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time New Zealand and world news feeds keep the page current, while an editorial description provides background on Scarborough.

Scarborough sits within the Canterbury Region. Location data is drawn from the GeoNames geographical database and verified by coordinates, ensuring the correct Scarborough is identified even where the name is shared across multiple New Zealand localities.