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24-746: The Canterbury Plains ( Māori : Kā Pākihi-whakatekateka-a-Waitaha ) are an area in New Zealand centred in the Mid Canterbury , to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District , and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki River . The smaller Amuri Plain forms

48-527: A general store, a petrol station, tea rooms and restaurants. Arthurs Pass is well known as a starting point for many excellent tramping tracks within the Arthurs Pass National Park. There are also several good walks from here, including the Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Bealey Valley and Avalanche Peak. The mischievous kea (New Zealand mountain parrot) can be found here. The club skifield Temple Basin

72-609: A northern extension of the plains. The Canterbury Plains were formed from Quaternary moraine gravels transported from the Southern Alps and deposited here during glacial periods in the late Pleistocene approximately 3 million to 10,000 years ago. The alluvial gravels were then reworked as shingle fans of several of the larger rivers, notably the Waimakariri , the Rakaia , the Selwyn , and

96-644: A population of 48 at the 2018 New Zealand census , a decrease of 6 people (−11.1%) since the 2013 census , and a decrease of 27 people (−36.0%) since the 2006 census . There were 30 households, comprising 27 males and 21 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.29 males per female. The median age was 44.0 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 3 people (6.2%) aged under 15 years, 9 (18.8%) aged 15 to 29, 30 (62.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 3 (6.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 81.2% European/ Pākehā , 6.2% Pasifika , and 18.8% Asian . People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer

120-484: Is a township in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, located in the Selwyn district. It is a popular base for exploring Arthur's Pass National Park . Arthur's Pass township is about five kilometres (3.1 mi) south of the mountain pass with the same name. At an elevation of 740 metres (2,430 ft) above sea level, the settlement is surrounded by beech forest. The Bealey River runs through

144-597: Is endemic to the plains. 43°38′S 172°05′E  /  43.64°S 172.09°E  / -43.64; 172.09 Mid Canterbury The area is mainly agricultural, extending as it does across the Canterbury Plains , rising in the west to the high country . Beyond this the land rises sharply to the main divide and peaks of the Southern Alps. Several prominent peaks lie in Mid Canterbury, most notably

168-801: The Ashburton River / Hakatere and Ashburton Lakes , the Rakaia Gorge , Pudding Hill , and Rangitata Island . Many corporations, companies, and government agencies within the area use "Mid Canterbury" as part of their names, notably the Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union . A former political electorate of Mid-Canterbury existed between 1928 and 1946. 43°45′S 171°30′E  /  43.750°S 171.500°E  / -43.750; 171.500 Arthur%27s Pass Arthur's Pass , previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats , and for some time officially Arthurs Pass ,

192-577: The Rangitata . Part of the Canterbury-Otago tussock grasslands , the land is suitable for moderately intensive livestock farming but is prone to droughts, especially when the prevailing wind is from the northwest. At these times, the weather phenomenon known as the Nor'west arch can be seen across much of the plain. A major earthquake on 4 September 2010 revealed a previously unknown geological fault beneath

216-455: The West Coast . In 1864 Arthur's brother Edward Henry Dobson joined him and accompanied him over the watershed into the valley of the Ōtira River . A West Coast Māori chief , Tarapuhi, told Arthur of a pass that Māori hunting-parties occasionally used. When Arthur returned to Christchurch , he sketched the country he had traversed and included it in a report to Cass. Arthur Dobson did not name

240-586: The Canterbury Plains and created a surface rift that offset features by as much as four metres in places. The rivers of the Canterbury Plains have a distinctive braided appearance, which differentiates this area from the plains of North Otago to the south – beyond the Waitaki, the rivers typically have narrower, well-formed channels, rather than spreading across wide shingle depressions, as in Canterbury. Most of

264-623: The Otira Tunnel as part of its 223 kilometres (139 mi) journey from Christchurch to Greymouth . The trip is considered one of the world's great train journeys due to its scenery and views. A power station was built below the Devil's Punchbowl Falls to provide electricity for the tunnel construction and for the village itself. In 1929, the Arthur's Pass National Park was established , New Zealand's third national park . An earthquake measuring 7.1 struck Arthurs Pass on 9 March 1929 . Slips closed

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288-487: The apostrophe. On 16 September 1975 the New Zealand Post Office also adopted the spelling with the apostrophe. Arthur's Pass is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers 0.27 km (0.10 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 40 as of June 2024, with a population density of 148 people per km . It is part of the statistical area of Craigieburn . Arthur's Pass had

312-497: The approaches to Arthur's Pass , and increase the southern extent to include the Peel Forest and Orari Gorge . Mid Canterbury has an area of some 6,500 square kilometres (2,500 sq mi) and a population of about 37,500, of whom a little over half live in the town of Ashburton . Smaller towns include Methven, Rakaia, Mt Somers, Mayfield and Hinds. Other features of the region include Mount Hutt and its associated skifield,

336-561: The building of the Otira Tunnel , which started on 14 January 1908. The railway from Christchurch reached Arthur's Pass township in 1914, the Westland section having advanced to Otira . Construction of the tunnel was very slow; it finally finished in 1923, and its opening marked by the British and Intercolonial Exhibition . The TranzAlpine passenger rail service passes through Arthur's Pass and

360-438: The census's question about religious affiliation, 56.2% had no religion, 31.2% were Christian and 6.2% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 24 (53.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 3 (6.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $ 36,600, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 9 people (20.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

384-535: The country's 23rd-highest mountain, the 3,019 metres (9,905 ft) Mount Dixon . Various points are designated as being the southern and northern limits of Mid Canterbury, but all definitions of it include that area between the mouths of the Rangitata River and Rakaia Rivers , roughly coterminous with the Ashburton District . Some definitions push the northern border north to include Lake Coleridge and

408-491: The history of Arthur's Pass (including Richard Seddon 's stagecoach) and archives detailing the history of the National Park. In 2019 the building was declared earthquake prone, and the visitor centre was moved to a portacabin across the road. The cost to upgrade the building to the required standard was estimated at NZ$ 3 million. Visitor accommodation is provided, from camp ground up to hotel standard. The township provides

432-467: The pass, which he found very steep on the western side. Dobson gave the name "Camping Flat" to the site that became the township. When the West Coast gold rush began in 1864, a committee of businessmen offered a £200 prize for anyone who would find a better or more suitable pass from Canterbury over the Southern Alps to West Canterbury (the West Coast). At the same time George Dobson, (another brother),

456-542: The population of Canterbury lives in a series of large and small towns arranged northeast to southwest along the plains, connected by State Highway 1 and the Main South railway line . These include Christchurch , Ashburton and Timaru , and the smaller Kaiapoi , Dunsandel , Rakaia , Temuka , and Glenavy . Other towns on the plains include Rangiora , Leeston , Lincoln , Darfield , Geraldine , Methven and Waimate . The extremely rare weevil Hadramphus tuberculatus

480-513: The road to the west coast for months and there was damage to the railway lines. The earthquake was thought to have occurred due to movement along the Poulter Fault. The Geographic Board had a policy of omitting apostrophes in place names, and the name was officially changed to "Arthurs Pass". This caused an upset with the local population, and the Minister of Lands reinstated the old version with

504-416: The township. The town is located 153 kilometres (95 mi) from Christchurch, a two-hour drive on State Highway 73 . The township and the pass take their names after Arthur Dudley Dobson (1841–1934, Sir Arthur from 1931). The Chief Surveyor of Canterbury Province , Thomas Cass , had tasked Arthur Dobson to find out if there was an available pass out of the Waimakariri watershed into valleys running to

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528-519: Was sent to examine every available pass between the watershed of the Taramakau , Waimakariri , and the Hurunui . After examining passes at the head of every valley he reported that "Arthur's" pass was by far the most suitable for the direct crossing. The township, at the time named Bealey Flats after the second Superintendent of Canterbury, Samuel Bealey , was originally built as a construction village for

552-565: Was that 30 (66.7%) people were employed full-time, 9 (20.0%) were part-time, and 3 (6.7%) were unemployed. Arthur's Pass township lies in a valley about 750 metres above sea level and is about 4 km south of Arthur's Pass (920 m). The town falls under the Köppen-Geiger climate classification of Cfb (Oceanic). Snowfall is not uncommon during winter, especially in the mountains above the village. The coldest temperature recorded in Arthurs Pass

576-544: Was −18.9 °C (−2 °F) at Bealey on 19 July 1878. New Zealand's first national park visitor centre was built in Arthur's Pass in 1959, with the help of the Christchurch Wanderers Tramping Club. It was designed by Christchurch architect Paul Pascoe and used local stone to reflect the geology of the national park. As well as Department of Conservation offices, the building housed museum displays on

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