Ashburton, New Zealand

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Ashburton Hakatere (Māori)
—  Metropolitan Area  —
Aerial view of Ashburton, looking west. The Ashburton River or Hakatere is visible at left.
Nickname(s): Ashvegas
Ashburton Ashburton
Coordinates: 43°54′20″S 171°44′44″E / 43.90556°S 171.74556°E / -43.90556; 171.74556Coordinates: 43°54′20″S 171°44′44″E / 43.90556°S 171.74556°E / -43.90556; 171.74556
Country	New Zealand
Region	Canterbury
Territorial authority	Ashburton District
Electorates	Rangitata Te Tai Tonga (Maori electorate)[1]
Government[2]
• Mayor	Angus McKay
Area
• Territorial	6,187.40 km2 (2,388.97 sq mi)
Population ( June 2011 estimate)[3]
• Territorial	30,100
• Density	4.9/km2 (13/sq mi)
• Urban	17,700
• Demonym	Ashburtonian
Time zone	NZST (UTC+12)
• Summer (DST)	NZDT (UTC+13)
Area code(s)	03
Website	http://www.ashburtondc.govt.nz/

Ashburton (Māori: Hakatere) is a large town in the Canterbury Region, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The town is the seat of the Ashburton District, a territorial authority encompassing the town and the surrounding rural area, which is also known as "Mid-Canterbury". It is located 85 km (53 mi) south west of Christchurch and is sometimes regarded as a satellite town of Christchurch.^[4]

Ashburton township has a population of 17,700, with an additional 12,400 living in the wider district. The town is the third-largest urban centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru.

Naming

Ashburton was named by the surveyor Captain Joseph Thomas of the New Zealand Land Association, after Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton, who was a member of the Canterbury Association. The town is laid out around two central squares either side of the railway line and main highway, Baring Square East and Baring Square West.

'Ashvegas', Ashburton's common nickname, is an ironic allusion to Las Vegas.^[5]

Location

Ashburton's historic train station is currently in danger of demolition

Ashburton Territorial Authority

Ashburton is on State Highway 1 86 km south of Christchurch. The Main South Line railway line runs through the centre of town, but passenger trains ceased on 10 February 2002. The town is the centre of a rich agricultural and pastoral farming district, part of the Canterbury Plains. It has one large suburb, Tinwald, south of the town and the Ashburton River. Tinwald was the junction for the now-closed Mount Somers Branch railway line.

The Ashburton District extends from the Pacific Ocean to the Southern Alps, and from the Rangitata River to the Rakaia River, including the towns of Methven, Mount Somers, and Rakaia.

Climate

On the whole, Ashburton shares a similar climate to Christchurch i.e. a dry temperate climate (Cfb). However, since it lies further inland at a higher altitude to Christchurch, Ashburton experiences a greater range of temperatures. During summer Ashburton can exceed 30°C, whilst winter can see regular frosts and annual snowfall. Ashburton's heaviest snowfall was 60 cm on 12 June 2006.

Economy

Ashburton lies in the middle of the fertile alluvial Canterbury Plains which permits agricultural activity such as dairying provided irrigation is used. And much of Ashburton industry is orientated to the needs local farmers.^{[citation needed]}

Ashburton has some unique and unusual businesses. Bruce McIlroy services and restores Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars. Peter Lynn manufactures kites. Designline is New Zealand's only bus manufacturer. Ashford Handicrafts is the world's largest producer of spinning wheels.^{[citation needed]}

Ashburton media includes the Ashburton Guardian daily newspaper, The Courier a free weekly community newspaper owned by the Otago Daily Times, and the Mid Canterbury focused AshburtonOnline website. Radio Port FM is based in Timaru; Newstalk ZB and Classic Hits ZEFM are re-broadcast from other out-of-town stations.

There is a small airport, Ashburton Aerodrome, serving the town.

Schooling

There are many primary schools in and around Ashburton, such as Netherby, Allenton, Hampstead, St. Joseph's, Borough inc. Longbeach, Mayfield, Wakanui, Hinds, Lowcliff, Lagmhor and Tinwald schools. There are also Ashburton Intermediate School and Ashburton College.

Recreation

Ashburton Domain

Aerial view of Ashburton, with the Southern Alps in the background

Opportunities within the town itself are limited to the kind of activities that could be expected for a town of its size, such as a movie theatre and swimming pool. There are also two local golf courses. There is a walking track for some distance, coastwards along the northern side of the river from SH1. This was overgrown for many years, but has now been restored and is in excellent condition.

Slightly further afield, the number of leisure opportunities rises dramatically. The beaches adjacent to Ashburton are steep and shingly with a strong undertow, making them unsafe to swim, but suitable nonetheless for surf-casting. In part to rectify the limitations imposed by the lack of recreational waterways, Lake Hood was constructed just south-east of Tinwald. It provides rowing, swimming, and water-skiing opportunities. The Ashburton, Rakaia, and Rangitata Rivers offer good fishing, the Rakaia in particular is renowned worldwide for its salmon fishing. Upper reaches of the Rangitata are frequently kayaked and rafted, reaching Grades 3-4. The Rakaia is known for jet-boating. The Ashburton Lakes (Lake Heron, Lake Camp, Lake Clearwater, and a number of smaller lakes) are around an hour and a half inland, and offer water sport and fishing opportunities^[specify]. On the road to these lake are Mount Somers and the Mount Somers walkway.

Mount Hutt is a prominent South Island ski field an hour inland, just past Methven.

Prominent residents

Prominent residents have included the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley, international operatic tenor Simon O'Neill, Olympic silver medal cyclist Hayden Roulston and New Zealand television and radio personality Simon Barnett. Hugo Friedlander was the second Mayor of Ashburton (1879–1881, 1890–1892 and 1898–1901), but left for Auckland in 1918 due to anti-German feelings caused by WWI.^[7]

Notes

References

• Reed, A. W. (2002). The Reed Dictionary of New Zealand Place Names. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0761-4. 

External links

• Regent Cinema
• Ashburton District Council
• AshburtonOnline
• The Ashburton Guardian
• Enterprise Ashburton Economic Development Agency
• Mid Canterbury Landscape Photography
• Ashburton Street Map

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