Rakaia
| Rakaia | |
|---|---|
| town | |
|
The Big Salmon of Rakaia | |
  Rakaia | |
| Coordinates: 43°45′S 172°01′E / 43.750°S 172.017°ECoordinates: 43°45′S 172°01′E / 43.750°S 172.017°E | |
| Country |
 New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial authority | Ashburton District |
| Population (June 2016)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,190 |
The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island, approximately 57 km south of Christchurch on State Highway 1 and the Main South Line. Immediately north of the township are the country's longest road bridge and longest rail bridge, both of which cross the wide shingle beds of the braided river at this point. Both bridges are approximately 1750 metres in length.
Rakaia was also the junction of the Methven Branch, a branch line railway to Methven that operated from 1880 until its closure in 1976. An accident at the railway station in 1899 killed four people.[2]
A township of under 1000 people, its most obvious feature is a large fibreglass salmon. The river from which the town takes its name is known for its salmon fishing and jetboating.
References
- ↑ "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2016 (provisional)". Statistics New Zealand. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016. For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006-16 (2017 boundary)". Statistics New Zealand. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ↑ McLintock, A. H. (1966). "Rakaia Railway Accident". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rakaia. |