Canterbury Plains
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The Canterbury Plains , also called Canterbury Plains , is a region in the east of the South Island of New Zealand .
It lies south of Christchurch and is bordered by the New Zealand Alps to the west and by the sea to the east. In the north the plains merge into the Hundalee Hills , while in the south the plain of the northeastern part of Otago connects.
The Canterbury Plain was formed from the debris cones of several large rivers, notably the Waimakariri River , Rakaia River , Selwyn River, and the Rangitata River .
The land is only suitable for extensive livestock farming as it is often hit by droughts. The reason for this is the prevailing northwest wind, which leads to heavy rainfall on the west side of the New Zealand Alps, while the east side remains very dry.