Livia’s guidebook to Oxford and surroundings
Food scene
- Café 51 is our favorite café for coffee, delicious lunches, and excellent pastries. They close at 5pm, so it’s a daytime place. Super cute spot. There is comfortable indoor seating, and on a sunny day, lovely outdoor seating.
9 paikallista suosittelee
Cafe 51
51 Main St- Café 51 is our favorite café for coffee, delicious lunches, and excellent pastries. They close at 5pm, so it’s a daytime place. Super cute spot. There is comfortable indoor seating, and on a sunny day, lovely outdoor seating.
Sheffield Pie Shop is locally famous for fantastic homemade pies. They have a great selection of fresh, creative flavors as well as traditional favorites. Their pastry selection is huge, and they also do great coffee. Again, they are open early but also close early, at 4pm. Plenty of indoor seating, but also great for takeaway.
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Main Street Bakery & Cafe(Oxford Branch Of Sheffield's Famous Pies)
78 Main StSheffield Pie Shop is locally famous for fantastic homemade pies. They have a great selection of fresh, creative flavors as well as traditional favorites. Their pastry selection is huge, and they also do great coffee. Again, they are open early but also close early, at 4pm. Plenty of indoor seating, but also great for takeaway.
Indian Hut does really delicious Indian food. We love this place! They do takeaway and they also now deliver!!
Indian Hut
76 Main StIndian Hut does really delicious Indian food. We love this place! They do takeaway and they also now deliver!!
Black Beech wine bar is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings, and has a great selection of wine and adult beverages. They also have delicious flatbread/pizzas, chips, and elegant bar snacks.
12 paikallista suosittelee
Black Beech Wine Bar
46 Main StBlack Beech wine bar is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings, and has a great selection of wine and adult beverages. They also have delicious flatbread/pizzas, chips, and elegant bar snacks.
Nom Nom is super delicious. They have an eclectic mix of southeast Asian foods including curries and noodles. They do takeaway, but the restaurant is very cute as well. This is our favorite restaurant in Rangiora. It is a 20 minute drive from Oxford.
NomNom Kitchen
257 High StNom Nom is super delicious. They have an eclectic mix of southeast Asian foods including curries and noodles. They do takeaway, but the restaurant is very cute as well. This is our favorite restaurant in Rangiora. It is a 20 minute drive from Oxford.
Fools of Desire (FoD) is a lovely full service café that does great morning and midday meals and snacks. They have lovely north facing windows and outdoor seating. We love this cafe in Rangiora. It is a 20 minute drive from Oxford.
7 paikallista suosittelee
Fools of Desire
176 High StFools of Desire (FoD) is a lovely full service café that does great morning and midday meals and snacks. They have lovely north facing windows and outdoor seating. We love this cafe in Rangiora. It is a 20 minute drive from Oxford.
Outdoorsy
Ashley Gorge is a very short drive away. We love it here! There is a beautiful bush walk, and a waterfall trail (the waterfall is quite small.) These walks are nice because they pass through native New Zealand bush, primarily black beech forest. Birdsong is often plentiful here. The facilities at Ashley Gorge are free. There is a fun park area for kids, big grassy lawns, picnic tables, and river access. In the summer there are great swimming holes!
Ashley Gorge Loop Track
Ashley Gorge is a very short drive away. We love it here! There is a beautiful bush walk, and a waterfall trail (the waterfall is quite small.) These walks are nice because they pass through native New Zealand bush, primarily black beech forest. Birdsong is often plentiful here. The facilities at Ashley Gorge are free. There is a fun park area for kids, big grassy lawns, picnic tables, and river access. In the summer there are great swimming holes!
If you feel like a drive, Castle Hill is only 45 minutes away, up the Arthurs Pass road. This is like a gigantic playground of oversize Dr. Seuss rocks! We absolutely love it here, and always take visitors because it’s so much fun to walk around and climb on the rocks. We like to spend at least three hours here, because the area is quite substantial and there is so much to explore. Take a picnic! To get to Castle Hill, go west through Oxford on the main road (this is Highway 72.) In Sheffield, follow signs for Highway 73, Arthur’s Pass, and the West Coast. Once you’re up the hill and you pass a lake, There will be signs for Castle Hill, and there is a huge car park on the left.
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Castle Hill
If you feel like a drive, Castle Hill is only 45 minutes away, up the Arthurs Pass road. This is like a gigantic playground of oversize Dr. Seuss rocks! We absolutely love it here, and always take visitors because it’s so much fun to walk around and climb on the rocks. We like to spend at least three hours here, because the area is quite substantial and there is so much to explore. Take a picnic! To get to Castle Hill, go west through Oxford on the main road (this is Highway 72.) In Sheffield, follow signs for Highway 73, Arthur’s Pass, and the West Coast. Once you’re up the hill and you pass a lake, There will be signs for Castle Hill, and there is a huge car park on the left.
Our favorite local trail is Ryde Falls. This is in the Mount Oxford trail network. The trails are well signposted and easy to follow. (For Ryde Falls, at the very beginning, you’ll want to stay to the left and not cross the river.) Ryde Falls is a gorgeous three-tiered waterfall. This track is about 7k one way, and though there is one steep section, most of the walk is quite gentle and rolling. There are lovely views of Mount Oxford and the gorgeous bush in the canyons. It usually takes us about 4.5 to 5 hours to complete this walk. We love to take our grannies on this one!
To get to the trail network, head for Coopers Creek, about 10 minutes away. Take the main road through Oxford center and turn right on Woodside Road. Follow this until you see signs for Mount Oxford, and turn right on Mountain Road. This is a dirt road. There is ample parking at the end of the road.
Mount Oxford is a substantial mountain. This track is very very steep (unrelenting) but offers amazing views once you get above the treeline. Truly, the views are spectacular, as Mount Oxford is set apart from other local mountains. This track usually takes at least 6 hours. Be prepared for very cold, biting wind at the top, and make sure that the weather is forecast to be fine all day. The weather changes incredibly quickly in Canterbury and this would not be a good place to get caught out.
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Mount Oxford Walking Tracks Including Ryde Falls
125 Mountain RdOur favorite local trail is Ryde Falls. This is in the Mount Oxford trail network. The trails are well signposted and easy to follow. (For Ryde Falls, at the very beginning, you’ll want to stay to the left and not cross the river.) Ryde Falls is a gorgeous three-tiered waterfall. This track is about 7k one way, and though there is one steep section, most of the walk is quite gentle and rolling. There are lovely views of Mount Oxford and the gorgeous bush in the canyons. It usually takes us about 4.5 to 5 hours to complete this walk. We love to take our grannies on this one!
To get to the trail network, head for Coopers Creek, about 10 minutes away. Take the main road through Oxford center and turn right on Woodside Road. Follow this until you see signs for Mount Oxford, and turn right on Mountain Road. This is a dirt road. There is ample parking at the end of the road.
Mount Oxford is a substantial mountain. This track is very very steep (unrelenting) but offers amazing views once you get above the treeline. Truly, the views are spectacular, as Mount Oxford is set apart from other local mountains. This track usually takes at least 6 hours. Be prepared for very cold, biting wind at the top, and make sure that the weather is forecast to be fine all day. The weather changes incredibly quickly in Canterbury and this would not be a good place to get caught out.
Neighbourhoods
Rangiora generally is worth a visit. There is a Monteith’s Grill, Joe’s Garage, Winnie Bagoes, sushi places, and many other food options. The main street is really lovely and offers great shopping, food, and services. There is also a Pak N Save, Countdown, New World, and Warehouse.
Rangiora
Rangiora generally is worth a visit. There is a Monteith’s Grill, Joe’s Garage, Winnie Bagoes, sushi places, and many other food options. The main street is really lovely and offers great shopping, food, and services. There is also a Pak N Save, Countdown, New World, and Warehouse.