Springfield: Railway Heritage and Jet Boat History

Springfield is the westernmost settlement in the Central Canterbury Plains. It is also an important stop on the TranzAlpine train journey and a place with a local railway and jet boat history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Springfield, the reason for your trip can help you decide where to stay: Is it mainly about the train journey, local places of remembrance, or an interest in jet boats? These different interests give Springfield its own travel profile.

Rail travel and winter sports as reasons to visit

Springfield is an important stop on the TranzAlpine train journey across the Southern Alps on the Midland Line. Many skiers also pass through the town on their way to the ski areas in the nearby mountains. These are two distinct connections: Springfield itself is an important stop on the TranzAlpine, while skiers travel through the town on their way to the mountains. When planning your trip, it’s worth keeping this distinction in mind as you consider Springfield as either a destination or a stopover.

Railway station and railway heritage

The railway station’s tearooms in Springfield have been converted into an information, arts and crafts, and heritage centre. The refreshment rooms were once popular, when trains were the usual means of transport between Canterbury and the West Coast. Today, the station brings together a visitor-focused use and a historic role in railway travel.

Railway heritage is also rooted in the town: the Midland Rail Heritage Trust is based in a former NZR locomotive depot opposite the station. Together with the story of the former refreshment rooms, this offers a distinctive perspective on Springfield’s connection to the railway. Those interested in rail travel can find both a link to the TranzAlpine and local places of remembrance dedicated to railway history.

Places of remembrance and jet boat history

A roadside reserve commemorates Springfield as the birthplace of Rewi Alley. Another point of interest is Jet Boat World at Springfield Adventure Park. There, an engaging tour traces the history of jet boating: early jet boats and water jet propulsion systems are on display, alongside stories from the pioneering days of jet boating. The attraction was established to preserve and promote the cultural significance of New Zealand’s role in introducing the jet boat to the world.

The Springfield Doughnut is another of the town’s distinctive landmarks: it is a giant replica of the iconic Simpsons doughnut. After earlier versions were destroyed, a giant concrete replacement was built, and it remains there today. Springfield’s places of remembrance thus span local biography and railway history, as well as a widely recognisable landmark.

Jet boat and airboat experiences

Alpine Jet Thrills operates in both Christchurch and Springfield, and offers New Zealand’s only airboat experience in Springfield. Check availability before your trip. The activities cater to quite different interests: Jet Boat World focuses on the history and exhibits of jet boating, while Alpine Jet Thrills offers an airboat experience. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you’re more interested in the history or the experience on the water.

Other highlights in the wider Selwyn District destination

The wider Selwyn District destination has other natural and cultural highlights, distinct from those in Springfield. Kura Tāwhiti/Castle Hill features impressive limestone formations and is of particular significance to Ngāi Tahu; it is also considered an internationally renowned destination for climbing and bouldering. The Rakaia Gorge Walking Track follows the edge of the gorge through geological areas featuring rhyolite, pitchstone, and andesite lava flows.

Cave Stream is a 594-metre-long cave in the Cave Stream Scenic Reserve. Two short tracks lead to the entrances, between which visitors can walk through the cave; cave conditions require care. These regional examples complement Springfield’s local themes with distinct landscape, geology, and climbing interests in the Selwyn District.

Discover more destinations: Arthur's Pass, Staveley, Loburn, Swannanoa, Hororata, Waipara, Lincoln University, Diamond Harbour.

For the wider travel overview: Canterbury.