87-529: 45°13′58″S 169°22′26″E / 45.232912°S 169.373954°E / -45.232912; 169.373954 The Alexandra Blossom Festival is an annual event that is held for 17 days each September in Alexandra, New Zealand that celebrates the advent of Spring. The Festival is the longest-running community event of its kind in New Zealand . The first blossom festival began on Friday, 27 September 1957 and
174-538: A direct result of the late Cenozoic and active tectonic processes that are occurring in southern South Island due to deformation along the nearby plate boundary, defined by the Alpine Fault . The river is known for its scenery, gold-rush history, and swift turquoise waters. A river conservation group, the Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway Group , is working to establish a regional river parkway, with
261-558: A lack of food, equipment and wood. Many of the early miners were Chinese of Cantonese origin, with some suggesting Chinese made up as much as 50% of the mining population. During the goldrush days, a gold dredge named the Lady Molyneux captured 1234 ounces of gold in just one week. Goldmining the Clutha was a dangerous occupation. In 1863, there were 37 men who drowned in the Clutha river or its tributaries. Of these, 12 could not be named. In
348-589: A mean discharge of approximately 500 m (18,000 cu ft), a catchment area of around 22,000 km (8,500 sq mi), and a length of about 340 km (210 mi), which makes it one of the longest rivers in New Zealand. The major tributaries include the Arrow River , Cardrona River , Lindis River , Manuherikia River , Teviot River , Pomahaka River , and the Waitāhuna River . Towns near
435-522: A number of 32 huts and 79 rock shelters present in the area. Around 100 dredges have operated at various times during the area's history in the river bed and nearby gravels, including the present-day gorge to the east of the Old Man Range . The Clutha River and its tributary Kawarau transported alluvial gold across a distance of 200 km (120 mi) in river bed load. A Middle Pleistocene -age ancestral Clutha River delivered detrital gold across
522-537: A primary school. St Gerard's School is a co-educational state-integrated Catholic primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 153. The school first opened in 1912. Dunstan High School is a co-educational state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students, with a roll of 589 as of August 2024. It opened in 1962. Alexandra is perhaps best known for the Alexandra Blossom Festival , an annual event that began in 1957. The Festival celebrates
609-596: A problem at the golf course in 2019 and the golf club was in the process of exploring fencing options to keep the rabbits out. Molyneux Park is located on state highway 8. It is home to the swimming pool complex, netball courts, a first class cricket venue, the ice skating rink, the Alexandra bowls club and the Alexandra toy library. The Alexandra Museum and Art Gallery is known as Central Stories. The museum focusses on local history, in particular, geology; early explorers; social history; gold mining; Chinese immigration during
696-411: A programme of regular events. Pioneer Park was established in the late 1860s. There is a playground and botanic gardens located within it. There are also three artificial grass tennis courts located within the park. Located in the hills just outside of Alexandra, this large irrigation dam was built in the 1900s. It is a well known body of water for fishing, canoeing and swimming. In winter ice skating
783-452: A result of this event, the Alexandra suspension bridge was constructed between 1879 and 1882 after the bridge at Clyde failed in the 1878 flood. The Otago Central Railway line from Dunedin into Central Otago reached Alexandra in December 1906. Originally referred to as "Alexandra South" to distinguish it from a North Island town with the same name, the word "South" was dropped in 1867 after
870-496: A result, this caused significant damage downstream. Over 21,000 livestock were lost when waters flooded over 12,000 h (43,000 ks). The Balclutha Bridge collapsed on 13 October. The 1978 flood breached the banks of rivers from the Ōreti in the south to the Tokomairaro . Over 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of land was inundated, with the loss of over 21,000 livestock. Towns and areas affected stretched from Makarora in
957-546: A total of four nights. The Shaky bridge crosses the Manuherikia river and links Kerry Street and Graveyard Gully Road. It was completed in 1879. Leslie Duncan MacGeorge (1854–1939) designed the 60 metre long bridge. It was the only bridge crossing the Manuherikia river for twenty years. In 1906 a road and rail bridge was completed making the shaky bridge obsolete. It did not receive the required upkeep and earned its nickname of
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#17330856045161044-669: A trail, along the entire river corridor. The Māori name for the Clutha River is the Mata-Au (sometimes shortened to Matau), meaning 'surface current'. Early settlers sometimes spelled the Māori name as "Matou" and "Matua-a", and pronounced it "Mattoo". Māori also referred to the Clutha River as Maranuku . The first appearance of a European name for the Clutha River / Mata-Au was the Molyneux River ( / m ɒ l ɪ n ˌ ə ʊ / ); its mouth
1131-407: A variety of local wines. Alexandra is the service centre for a significant stone-fruit industry, which is celebrated by a blossom festival in the town each spring. The first orchards planted provided fruit for the mining community. Now, nectarines, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums and apples are grown and sold for both New Zealand and export markets. Seasonal work picking fruit is available during
1218-579: A wide range of vehicles, objects, groups and people are on show including trucks, handmade floats, classic cars, street entertainers, marching bands and horse-driven vehicles. The "Saturday in the Park" which follows at the conclusion of the parade includes entertainment & relaxation for local & visiting families. Attractions include carnival rides, children's Stage & circus entertainers, all age music concerts, stalls, food and beverage tents and interactive games such as rock climbing. The year 2006 also saw
1305-502: Is an order of magnitude lower than on the Main Divide . The mean flow of the Clutha is around 614 cubic metres per second (21,700 cu ft/s), comparable to many much larger rivers. This heavy flow, combined with the relatively small size of the river in global terms, makes the Clutha notoriously fast-flowing. It is often listed as one of the world's most swiftly flowing rivers, alongside Australia's Macleay and Fitzroy Rivers ,
1392-571: Is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area, and covers 9.76 km (3.77 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 6,150 as of June 2024, with a population density of 630 people per km . It is the seventh-largest urban area in Otago, and the second-largest urban area in the Central Otago District behind Cromwell. Alexandra had a population of 5,472 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 669 people (13.9%) since
1479-557: Is in abundance in the Clutha River and its surrounding areas. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and has a discharging mean flow of 614 cubic metres per second (21,700 cu ft/s). The Clutha River played a prominent role in both the Māori and European history of the area. Rivers and valleys were the main transport system used by local Māori to access the interior of the South Island. The 1860s Otago gold rush resulted in
1566-584: Is on the banks of the Clutha River (at the confluence of the Manuherikia River ), on State Highway 8 , 188 kilometres (117 mi) by road from Dunedin and 33 kilometres (21 mi) south of Cromwell . The nearest towns to Alexandra via state highway 8 are Clyde seven kilometres to the northwest and Roxburgh forty kilometres to the south. State highway 85 also connects Alexandra to Omakau , Lauder , Oturehua , Ranfurly and on to Palmerston on
1653-458: Is one of the driest places in the country, often recording fewer than 400 mm (16 in) of rain each year, the majority of which falls in the summer half of the year. The town hold the New Zealand record for the lowest rainfall in one calendar year, recording just 212 mm (8.3 in) in 1964. Alexandra's population was 1414 residents in 1951 and this had increased to 1823 residents in 1956 and then to 2292 residents in 1961. Alexandra
1740-460: Is one of the least windy towns in New Zealand. This, combined with its geography, being an inland basin, means that the smoke generated from domestic heating appliances stays sitting within the town environs. Daily PM10 concentrations regularly exceed the national guidelines from the month of May through to the month of August each year. Between 2005 and 2017 winter concentrations of PM10s have decreased about 30%. Despite this, Alexandra has "some of
1827-554: Is popular when the dam freezes over. A portion of the Otago Central Rail Trail runs through Alexandra. The "Mountain bikers of Alexandra" club are active in building trails in the local area. There are a number of mountain bike trails at Alexandra Airport, Boot Hill, Clyde Lookout and Flat Top Hill. The award-winning trails at Flat Top Hill have been built in partnership with the Department of Conservation. A large clock
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#17330856045161914-528: Is run by the Alexandra Lions Club and it is also a great social occasion for the town. It has been run annually since the early 1990s. The event was cancelled in 2018 to allow the Otago Regional Council's programme to introduce the rabbit virus RHDV1 K5.Unfortunately the virus did not have the desired impact on rabbit numbers that was expected and there are more rabbits around than ever. Due to
2001-460: Is the nearest facility for those. The Terrace School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 291 as of August 2024. It opened in 1965. Alexandra School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 226. It opened in 1865, and became a district high school in 1912. After the opening of Dunstan High and The Terrace School, Alexandra School resumed its function solely as
2088-542: The 2013 census , and an increase of 645 people (13.4%) since the 2006 census . There were 2,331 households, comprising 2,661 males and 2,811 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.95 males per female, with 909 people (16.6%) aged under 15 years, 729 (13.3%) aged 15 to 29, 2,247 (41.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 1,590 (29.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 93.1% European/ Pākehā , 9.8% Māori , 1.5% Pasifika , 2.5% Asian , and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
2175-693: The Amazon and Atrato Rivers in South America, and the Teesta River in the Himalayas. The highest recorded flow on the Clutha was during heavy storms in 1978, peaking at 4,581 cubic metres per second (161,800 cu ft/s). A 2022 report of the river by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) indicated a result of 12 species of native fish, and 2 species from its tributaries, with
2262-487: The Otago Region began in c. 1250–1300 . Māori learned to hunt the numerous species of moa and burned many of the inland forests. The first iwi in Otago were Waitaha , then Kāti Māmoe ; later came Kāi Tahu . By the end of the fourteenth century, the environment in Otago and Southland (Murihuku) had begun to shift, with podocarp woods retreating and the moa population declining. A few Māori settlements in
2349-653: The River Clyde in Scotland , which runs through Glasgow . The official name for the river has been Clutha River / Mata-au since the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 , a landmark Treaty of Waitangi settlement , which added dual names to approximately 90 geographic features throughout the South Island to recognise the "equal and special significance" of both the English and Māori names. Māori occupation of
2436-470: The "shaky bridge". The small suspension bridge with its stone towers was saved by the Pioneer Bridge Committee. The Committee raised funds to restore the bridge. Today it is promoted as a tourist attraction and is only open to pedestrians. Simmond's boarding house was built in 1882 and provided accommodation for over ninety years until it was converted into an office building in the 1970s. It
2523-537: The 1860s. With several settlements quickly established along gold-rich rivers such as the Clutha and Kawarau , the rush to Central Otago was the largest in the region's history. A large number of miners' huts also existed during this era along the Clutha River. Roxburgh Gorge had a majority of the huts of this type, but they also occurred in Cromwell Gorge. A 1980 archaeological survey in the Roxburgh Gorge indicated
2610-452: The 1870s, Chinese miners moved in to re-work claims that others had sold on. By 1889, most of the easy to access gold had been mined and leases were sold for virtually nothing. At this stage, stone fruit orchards gradually took over the local economy. When the river had run out of gold, the river banks were dredged. This was termed ‘paddock dredging’. This continued day and night between 1896 and 1924 and again between 1951 and 1963. The noise
2697-552: The Californian gold rush. They initially worked in secret to obtain as much gold as they could along the Cromwell gorge. In order to obtain the government's reward on offer for gold discoveries, they made the site public. This made the Clutha river and its tributaries famous for their gold. In a short time, 2000 miners had descended on Alexandra. Conditions were uninviting initially with
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2784-581: The Clutha Catchment's rapidly expanding water needs will become more challenging in the future. Located at a maximum elevation of approximately 2,800 m (9,200 ft) on the Main Divide of the Southern Alps, the majority of the river's headwater flows originate from the melting of alpine snow cover and rainfall, with glaciers contributing a minor amount. In inland basins, annual precipitation totals can be less than 400 mm (16 in), while on
2871-809: The Clutha River include Alexandra, New Zealand , Balclutha, Cromwell, Roxbrugh , and Wānaka . The Clutha River extends about 340 km (210 mi), flowing roughly north to south through the Otago Region. The Clutha River's headwaters are located in the Southern Alps , receiving up to 8,000 mm (310 in) of precipitation annually from the west and north west. The Clutha River and its tributaries receive water from three lakes in Otago, Hāwea , Wakatipu , and Wānaka , along with its minor tributaries Arrow, Beaumont, Lindis, Manuherikia, Nevis, Shotover, Talla Burn, Teviot, and Pomahaka. The Clutha River may have taken its current course due to glacial advances in
2958-411: The Clutha River to fish for eels and hunt waterfowl . Kāi Tahu used to travel in to the interior of the South Island almost every year and had campsites and burial sites along the Clutha River and its nearby lakes. The mouth of Mata-au was heavily populated, with many permanent and temporary Kāi Tahu settlements throughout the lower stretches of the river. Murikauhaka, a settlement near the mouth of
3045-416: The Clutha River use it as a source for treatment plants to provide communities with potable water. Further dam projects have been proposed for the river, but as of 2012, all have been cancelled. The Clutha provides irrigation for stone fruit orchards and vineyards around Cromwell, Alexandra, and Roxburgh, which grow apples, apricots, nectarines, cherries, peaches and grapes. There are more vineyards in
3132-939: The Clutha River, the current one opening in 1958. Alexandra experiences an oceanic climate bordering on a semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb/BSk ). Alexandra is one of the farthest towns from a coastline and experiences warm summers and cold winters compared to the rest of New Zealand, with summer temperatures that can reach the mid 30's °C (mid 90's °F) and winter lows that drop around −8.0 °C (18 °F) most years. Every year an average of 66 days will exceed 25.0 °C (77 °F) and 92 nights will drop below 0.0 °C (32 °F). The hottest and coldest temperatures recorded in Alexandra (between 1971 and 2019) are 38.7 °C (102 °F) (recorded on 5 February 2005 and 30 January 2018) and −11.2 °C (12 °F) respectively. During times of high pressure, temperature inversions can form, keeping temperatures in Alexandra below freezing all day. Alexandra
3219-590: The Clyde Dam in 1982 and was completed in 1993. It was a somewhat controversial project, with opposition and criticism from environmentalists and local residents. Completion of the Clyde Dam took much longer than expected, at a final cost more than 45% higher than the first estimate. The Clyde Dam was one of Robert Muldoon 's and the Third National Government 's " Think Big " projects, an interventionist state economic strategy. Several Local Authorities along
3306-459: The Country. 2006 marked the event's 50th anniversary. Typically the types of available activities and exhibits vary from year to year. However, activities usually include things such as shearing championships, music festivals, blossom drives, musical productions and much more. Exhibits range from art exhibitions to flower shows. The most anticipated showing of the festival is the annual parade. Here
3393-565: The East Otago coast. The town of Alexandra is home to 6,150 people as of June 2024. The town was founded during the Otago gold rush in the 1860s, and was named after Alexandra of Denmark by John Aitken Connell who surveyed the town. In a two-month period in 1862, two gold miners called Horatio Hartley and Christopher Reilly collected 34 kilograms of gold from the Cromwell Gorge, Hartley and Reilly travelled together to New Zealand after meeting in
3480-538: The King of Prussia's Potsdam Stud, which cost the massive sum at that time of £2000. The Galloway Station was sub-divided in 1916. The Alexandra Aerodrome is Alexandra's only airport. SPANZ , NAC and Mount Cook Airlines were main users of the airport till the 1980s. It is home to the Central Otago Flying Club, and gliding. Commercial passenger flights are no longer scheduled; Queenstown International Airport
3567-545: The Mata-au, was at one stage home to an estimated two hundred people. Māori trading groups used the Cromwell Gorge as the main thoroughfare to their pounamu and moa-hunting expeditions to the interior of Otago. Many early Māori archaeological sites have been found in the Cromwell Gorge, featuring moa eggshell fragments. Unlike other Central Otago sites, no burned bones have been found. During early European settlement in
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3654-536: The North Island town was renamed to Pirongia . It was known to miners of the day by several names: the "Lower Township", the "Junction Township", and "Manuherikia". (The "Upper Township" was Dunstan, now Clyde .) Many orchards were destroyed in the 1980s as a result of construction, 10 km upriver, of the Clyde High Dam , which is the country's third largest hydroelectric power station . The railway line
3741-550: The South Island's hydroelectric power supply to the New Zealand power grid . The Clutha River's first dam was the Nil Desperandum Dam in the Upper Clutha Valley, existing from 1864–66. The Roxburgh Dam was the first substantial dam in the South Island. Construction on the dam began in 1949. Four turbines were installed in 1956–57 and four more in 1960–61. Its installed capacity is 320MW. Construction began on
3828-450: The South Island, a whaling station was established close to the Clutha River's mouth at Port Molyneux , and during this period the sea was the source of almost all of the area's economy. The town of Port Molyneux, located on this bay, was a busy harbour during the 19th century. Its location at the mouth of the Clutha made it a good site for trade, both from the interior and for coastal and ocean-going shipping. A major flood in 1878 shifted
3915-500: The advent of Spring in the Central Otago District as evidenced by the blooming of the fruit trees. Sixty rabbits were introduced by the Acclimatisation Society of Otago in 1866 and it only took five years for them to get established and to start eating the pasture land bare. They are prolific and a pest species around Alexandra. Each year at Easter, locals compete to shoot as many rabbits as possible to cull numbers. The event
4002-574: The area as "well grassed and watered, a very land of promise" which attracted others to the region. In 1862, gold-rich bars of rocks and gravel were discovered by Christopher Reilly and Horatio Hartley during their winter 1862 expedition up Cromwell Gorge through the waters of the Clutha. They arrived in Dunedin on 15 August, 1862, deposited their 100 oz (2,800 g) of gold, and were rewarded with £2,000. A gold rush began in Central Otago in
4089-492: The area's potential was gradually recognised. Previously, the Kawarau River and the Clutha River running downstream from Cromwell were the primary focus. Māori were aware of gold in the Clutha River but they did not value it. The Clutha River is the South Island's largest river and has the largest catchment and outflow in New Zealand. About 6% of all water in the South Island is discharged through Clutha River alone. It has
4176-421: The catchment. A 2022 study by Diversity and Distributions revealed that the river is home to a diverse range of Galaxias vulgaris clades; its diversity is likely a reflection of the Clutha River's complex geological processes. The study emphasises the importance of the genome -wide methods to identify species and understand biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems and conservation in the Clutha River. Before
4263-536: The clock to stop working. It appeared that "someone swung on the hands’’ of the clock causing the clock to stop at 8:34. Alexandra suffers from air pollution, typically in winter. The main cause of air pollution in Alexandra is from domestic heating appliances that burn solid fuels (e.g. wood and coal). Air pollution peaks during winter mornings and evenings. The results from a study show that sub-freezing temperatures and still wind conditions at 8 am or 9 am can be used to predict high levels of PM10 that evening. Alexandra
4350-425: The construction of Roxburgh Dam , salmon could be found traversing the length of the Clutha River and spawning as far upstream as Lakes Hāwea and Wānaka. The Clutha is the southernmost recognised salmon river; salmon continue to arrive each spring and summer, though numbers have decreased since the construction of Roxburgh Dam. Common bullies , smelt , and perch are also found in the river. A 1981 assessment of
4437-478: The country. The Clutha River encompasses two hydropower stations, which provide 14% of the country's hydropower generation capacity. The Clutha River drains the high mountains of the Southern Alps in the west and passes through a complex topographic system of basins and ranges towards the east before reaching into the Pacific Ocean . A majority of the topographical features of the Clutha River catchment area are
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#17330856045164524-484: The dry conditions in 2019, the fire risk was deemed to be extreme and the event was cancelled.In 2020 it was again cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bunny hunt took place in 2021 with over 10,000 rabbits shot. It was thought not to have a significant impact on the overall rabbit population around Alexandra. The Alexandra swimming pool complex is run by the Central Otago District Council . It
4611-434: The exception of upland bully , common river galaxias and roundhead galaxias . All native species are diadromous , meaning that they are recorded from the tributaries, and giant kōkopu and kōaro likely went through the mainstem while on their way to its tributaries. The Clutha River has a limited collection of native species, though it does provide a through route for the many other diadromous species. Brown trout are
4698-473: The first attraction was the Horticultural Society's spring flower show. The next day saw the climax of the festival, as the frequently termed "big day" was held then. It was then that the now famous parade of floats first took place and they showcased themselves by moving along the main street of Alexandra. There was also entertainment during and after the parade at Alexandra's Pioneer Park. From then on,
4785-438: The gold mining years; stone fruit orchards, farming and viticulture. It is located at 21 Centennial Avenue and is open Monday to Friday between 10am to 4pm and 11am to 2pm on weekends and public holidays. The Alexandra Public Library is located at 42 Tarbet Street. It is open Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings. It has a wide selection of adult and children's books, magazines, local newspapers and DVDs. It has free Wifi and
4872-583: The lower parts of what is presently the Manuherikia Valley near Alexandra. By Christmas 1861, 14,000 prospectors were on the Tuapeka and Waipori fields. The gold rush was short-lived, with most of the alluvial gold played out by 1863, but prospectors continued to arrive, swelling to a maximum of 18,000 miners in February 1864. Mining in the Clutha River upstream from Cromwell became significant after 1900, when
4959-669: The middle to late- Pleistocene , advances that nearly reached Cromwell. It is an economically significant river for the country. The Clutha River encompasses two hydropower stations, which provide 14% of the country's hydropower generation capacity. It drains the largest catchment in New Zealand, which is about 22,000 km (8,500 sq mi) in size, and has an area normalised flow of about 800 mm (31 in). It has an average annual discharge of 530 m (19,000 cu ft). Due to long-standing hydroelectricity commitments and increasing demands for urban water supply and irrigation for horticulture and agriculture , meeting
5046-512: The most encountered fish in the Clutha River, occurring throughout the main river, streams, and nearby lakes. Rainbow trout also appear in the river but in smaller numbers, and they are more common in the lower section of the river compared to the upper stretches. At the minimum, nine species of freshwater-limited Galaxias have been identified in the Clutha River by genetics and morphology . A Nationally Critical species of Galaxias called "Clutha flathead species D" occurs in various parts of
5133-481: The mouth of the Clutha to the north and silted up the port, after which the town gradually dwindled. The first European to visit the Upper Clutha area and to see the inland lakes of Wakatipu , Wānaka and Hāwea was Nathanael Chalmers , who was guided by Chiefs Reko and Kaikōura in 1853. They returned him down the river on a mōkihi , a flax reed open kayak, that they built from flax stems and raupō from
5220-696: The north to Invercargill in the south. The town of Wyndham was completely evacuated, and the towns of Balclutha , Milton and Mataura were seriously affected with many residents moved. The small settlement of Kelso on the banks of the Pomahaka River was completely abandoned and was not rebuilt once the waters subsided. At its peak, on 15 October, the Clutha's flow was measured at just over 4,500 cubic metres per second (160,000 cu ft/s). A major flood in November 1999 seriously damaged river communities, especially Alexandra . The flooding in Alexandra
5307-497: The parade and other main event attractions would take place usually in the last week of September during the weekend. The parade is always held on the Saturday. Alexandra's annual celebration of Spring is New Zealand's longest-running festival. The Alexandra Blossom Festival has raised many thousands of dollars to provide amenities for the town of Alexandra. This popular event encourages community spirit and attracts interest from all over
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#17330856045165394-431: The production of approximately 240 tonnes of gold, which was found in the Clutha catchment . It has the biggest catchment and outflow in New Zealand. About 6% of all water in the South Island is discharged by the Clutha River alone. It has a mean discharge of approximately 500 m (18,000 cu ft) and a catchment area of around 22,000 km (8,500 sq mi) and is an economically significant river for
5481-443: The project. The clock has a diameter of 11 metres. The minute hand is 5.6m in length including the counterweight and the hour hand is 4m in length including the counterweight. It is lit up at night by 150 light bulbs (upgraded to LEDs in 2006 from the original torch bulbs). The LED lights have subsequently been upgraded to colour LEDs in 2018. At Easter an illuminated cross is placed on the hillside nearby. In April 2020, damage caused
5568-489: The region started to lose importance, although several settlements still existed in Central Otago . Several locations along the Clutha River retain the names of Kāti Māmoe chiefs, such as, Taumata-o-Te-Hau , a hill on the north side of the Clutha River, above Balclutha , named after the chief who climbed there and watched for the arrival of a taua for whom he had prepared a trap. Historically, Kāi Tahu travelled upstream
5655-487: The return of the "Party in the Park" concert. The concert was held at night in a Grand Marquee. Six bands from New Zealand played here, including the well known Elemeno P and Goodnight Nurse . The other bands were Minuit , Eggs , Solaa and Twinset . Alexandra, New Zealand Alexandra ( Māori : Manuherikia or Areketanara ) is a town in the Central Otago district of the South Island of New Zealand. It
5742-578: The river by the Upper Clutha Valley Development with the Ministry of Works and Development emphasised the high-quality waters of the river and very low levels of phytoplankton biomasses present. Several major floods have occurred on the Clutha, most notably the "Hundred year floods" of October 1878 and October 1978. During the October 1878 flood, snow from the Southern Alps began to melt and
5829-510: The river started to rise. Central Otago experienced widespread flooding and farm buildings were submerged to their rooftops while rivers filled with dead horses and sheep, timber from farms and mine workings, and trees with a diameter of 1 m (3 ft 3 in). A bridge in Clyde collapsed on 29 September, and its wreckage floated down to Roxburgh, where it struck a bridge there. The bridges at Bannockburn, Beaumont and Roxbrugh were swept away. As
5916-568: The runholders who had previously acquired territory up to the Waitāhuna River . When they returned to Dunedin after spending several days exploring the Manuherikia Valley, they submitted an application to the Otago Provincial Government to lease two blocks of land on either side of the Manuherikia River. The total land area was 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares). They brought sheep to the district in 1858. Watson Shennan described
6003-442: The separate wash-house. Clutha River The Clutha River ( Māori : Mata-Au , officially gazetted as Clutha River / Mata-Au ) is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island . It flows south-southeast 338 kilometres (210 mi) through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka in the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean , 75 kilometres (47 mi) south west of Dunedin . Gold
6090-642: The shores of Lake Hāwea. In 1910, 57 years after the event, Nathanael Chalmers remembered his boat trip through the Cromwell Gorge: "I shall never forget the "race" through the gorge ... my heart was literally in my mouth, but those two old men seemed to care nothing for the current." European "sheepmen" arrived later in the late 1850s, searching for grazing grounds in Otago's interior. Alexander and Watson Shennan set off from Milton (known previously as Tokomairiro) in December 1857 to Central Otago, looking for land to raise sheep. The brothers proceeded farther than
6177-438: The summer and many tourists and Pacific Islanders come to New Zealand to work in Alexandra. Sheep farming, particularly of merino sheep has occurred around Alexandra for many years. One of the original sheep runs was Galloway Station. This was established by Watson and Alexander Shennan in 1858.The brothers, from Scotland imported various breeds of sheep. In particular they acquired 15 merino rams and 27 merino ewes in 1861 from
6264-418: The vicinity of Alexandra. These include Three Miners Vineyard, Grasshopper Rock, Como Villa Estate, Rock'n'Pillar, Thyme Hill Vineyard, Leaning Rock Vineyard, Judge Rock, Immigrants Vineyard, Dunstan Road Wines, Alexandra Wine Company, Drumsara Wines, McArthur Ridge Vineyard and Perseverance Estate. A cycling trail called Pedal for Pinot gives visitors the opportunity to cycle around the cellar doors and sample
6351-574: The western edge of the catchment, they can surpass 4,000 mm (160 in). The contribution of snowmelt to the annual streamflow of the Clutha River is estimated to be 10% by the time it reaches the Southern Pacific Ocean . This proportion is considerably higher for alpine sub-catchments and large inland basins, rising as high as 30% to 50%. A number of large tributaries originate in Central Otago's semi-arid basins, where yearly precipitation can be as low as 400 mm (16 in), which
6438-432: The worst winter air quality in the country". Pupils at Alexandra primary school were helping scientists at NIWA learn more about pollution in their town in a four-month project that will track where smoke comes from and where it goes over winter in 2018. Alexandra had three high pollution nights, where PM10 particulate levels exceeded the national environmental standards, in winter 2021. This increased in winter 2022 to
6525-563: Was 12.3, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.8% had no religion, 38.4% were Christian , 0.5% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.4% were Hindu , 0.2% were Muslim , 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 624 (13.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 1,083 (23.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 573 people (12.6%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
6612-547: Was attributed to a rise in the riverbed resulting from silt loading in the Roxburgh reservoir behind the Roxburgh Dam , downriver from the town. The 1999 flood had significantly higher water levels in Alexandra than the 1878 flood, despite being only 80% of the volume of the latter. There are two hydroelectric power stations on the Clutha River, the 464MW Clyde Dam and the 320MW Roxburgh Dam , which together provide about 22% of
6699-495: Was built by James Simmonds who also served as mayor of Alexandra. The Bendigo Hotel was situated on the corner of Tabert & Rivers streets. The original Bendigo Hotel, was a wooden, single storied structure built in the 1860s. This original building was demolished in 1900. This was required by the Tuapeka Licensing Commission who stated that the building should be replaced, or the license revoked. The Bendigo Hotel
6786-659: Was built in 2003 and replaced the previous swimming pool known as the Centennial Baths. The indoor complex includes a 25m lap pool, a learners' pool and a spa pool. An outdoor pool is also open during the summer months. The complex is located within Molyneux Park . An outdoor Olympic sized ice rink in Molyneux Park is run by the Alexandra Winter Sports Club. It is the largest one of its type in New Zealand. It
6873-427: Was built on Knobbies Range overlooking Alexandra in 1968. Initially, there was some opposition to the proposal. A full size mock-up was placed on the proposed site for six weeks. Local reaction was assessed and it was overwhelmingly supportive of the idea. It cost around $ 3000 to build the clock. This included the foundations, steel markers, electrics, painting etc. The Jaycees club put in many hours of volunteer labour to
6960-456: Was closed after the completion of the Clyde Dam in 1990 and the lines were removed in 1990. In 2000, the Otago Central Rail Trail was opened allowing mountain bikers and walkers to traverse the rail corridor from Clyde through Alexandra and on to Middlemarch. The town is a popular holiday destination mainly due to the hot and sunny climate during summer. There are many accommodation options in Alexandra. Alexandra has had two bridges crossing
7047-546: Was ever present and loud and it also produced significant quantities of dust which plagued Alexandra. If the dredging hit hard rock, it interrupted the power supply to Alexandra and the lights of the entire town dimmed. The tailings from all the dredging now cover 170 hectares in a historic reserve known as the Earnscleugh Dredge Tailings. In 1878, the Clutha river flooded many towns including Clyde and Alexandra. The Manuherikia valley "resembled an inland sea". As
7134-513: Was named by Captain James Cook after his sailing master, Robert Molineux. The name is also applied to the small settlement of Port Molyneux . Early maps show Moulineux Harbour in its original spelling, but later maps indicate the harbour's name was written as "Molyneux", rather than "Moulineux". The river is now commonly known as the Clutha, which comes from Cluaidh , the Scots Gaelic name for
7221-545: Was opened in 1993. It replaced the previous ice skating rink at the Manorburn Dam. The Alexandra golf club was established in 1901. It moved to its present site alongside the Alexandra/Clyde highway in the mid-1960s and work started on the club house in 1970. Work occurred in 1974 redeveloping the layout of the 18 hole course. The course is relatively flat with well irrigated tree lined fairways. Rabbits were noted to be
7308-497: Was opened on 16 June 1879, it housed both the Warden's and Magistrate's Courts. it was built of stone. As mining was the main industry at the time the Warden's Court was kept busy dealing with issues relating to mining. These included registration of claims and dealing with matters such as water races, business, licenses, roads, forgeries and other similar issues relating to mining. The Magistrate's Court dealt with general legal matters. It
7395-517: Was that 2,076 (45.5%) people were employed full-time, 810 (17.8%) were part-time, and 81 (1.8%) were unemployed. Grape production is another major industry in the Central Otago Wine Region . The first plantings of grapes were in 1864. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are some of the varieties that are grown in the vicinity. Alexandra has a number of vineyards that potentially are the world's most southern. There are more than 25 vineyards in
7482-489: Was then rebuilt in 1900. The new hotel was a two storied brick structure. It contained 30 bedrooms and was of the standard of a first class city hotel at the time. Numerous alternations occurred to the building over the next 100 years. The Bendigo was flooded in December 1995 and again in November 1999. This led to the hotel being demolished and the construction of a floodbank in 2001 to protect Alexandra from flooding. The old courthouse located in Alexandra's Centennial Avenue
7569-431: Was used as a courthouse until 1972. It is a Category 2 Historic Building. In 2006 the chimneys were renovated and it was repainted. It now operates as a cafe. Vallance Cottage is a mud brick house built in 1896. It was home to a family of eleven at one stage. It is a category 2 listed building with Heritage New Zealand . In the 1970s, Vallance Cottage still had no running water inside and only cold running water in
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