Kaikoura District

Kaikoura District
Geographical location
Location of the Kaikoura District
Photo from the Kaikoura District
View from the south of the Seaward Kaikoura Range
Local authority
Country	New Zealand
island	South island
region	Canterbury
Local authority	District
Council	Kaikoura District Council
Headquarters of the administration	Kaikoura (New Zealand)
mayor	Winston Gray
founding	1989
Post Code	7300, 7371, 7373, 7374
Telephone code	+64 (0) 3
Website	www.kaikoura.govt.nz
geography
Region ISO	NZ-CAN
Coordinates	42 ° 24 ′  S , 173 ° 41 ′  E Coordinates: 42 ° 24 ′  S , 173 ° 41 ′  E
Highest elevation	2608 m
Lowest point	Height of sea level
surface	2 047  km 2
Residents	3 552 (2013)
Population density	1.74 inhabitants per km 2
Statistical data
Public revenue	NZ $ 8.0 million  (2015)
Public expenditure	NZ $ 9.0 million  (2015)
Number of households	2 175 (2013)
Ø income	NZ $ 26,400  (2013)
Māori population	16.9% (2013)

Cruise along the coast of the Kaikoura District on the Coastal Pacific

The Kaikoura District is an administrative unit in the Canterbury region in New Zealand . The district council, called Kaikoura District Council , is located in Kaikoura City , as is the district administration.

geography

Geographical location

The Kaikoura District has a total land area of ​​2047 km², making it the smallest district in the Canterbury region . At the census in 2013, the district had 3552 inhabitants and is 1.7 inhabitants per km² the district with the third lowest population density in the region.

The district is enclosed in the north and west by the Marlborough District and the Hurunui District borders in the south . In the east, an approximately 90 km long coastline to the Pacific Ocean forms the natural border.

The entire district is characterized by a mountain landscape in which the Seaward Kaikoura Range and half of the Inland Kaikoura Range are decisive. The highest mountain in the district is Manakau with a height of 2608  m . The largest and most important river in the district is the Clarence River , which flows into the Pacific Ocean a good 32 km northeast of Kaikoura between the mountain ranges of the Inland Kaikoura Range and the Seaward Kaikoura Range .

The largest and only place over 1000 inhabitants is Kaikoura with 1971 inhabitants.

climate

Due to the influence of the mountains, the precipitation is between 800 and 1400 mm per year. Accordingly, the average daytime temperatures in summer vary between 16 ° C and 22 ° C depending on the altitude and in winter between −2 ° C and 4 ° C. The duration of sunshine varies by 2000 hours per year in the summit locations, reduced to around 1700 hours.

population

Population development

In 2013, 600 of the district's 3,552 inhabitants were of Māori origin (16.9%). This means that 0.1% of the country's Māori population lived in the Kaikoura District . The median income for the population in 2013 was NZ $ 26,400  , compared to NZ $ 28,500 national average.

Origin and languages

When asked about ethnic group membership in the 2013 census, 87.7% said they were European, 17.8% said they had Māori roots, 1.1% came from the islands of the Pacific and 2.3% % came from Asia (multiple answers were possible). 13.1% of the population said they were born overseas. 4.2% of the population spoke Māori as the second most common language after English, among the Māori 20.4%.

politics

administration

The Kaikoura District is not divided into different wards , as we know it from other districts in New Zealand. The seven councilors (council members) who represent the entire district, together with the Mayor (Mayor) the district council (district council) and every three years to be re-elected.

economy

The district, but especially the city of Kaikoura, benefits from a kind of ecotourism. Kaikoura is particularly known and loved for whale watching . In order to be able to accommodate tourists, a 180  hectare area was set up on the Kaikoura Peninsula . In addition to traditional agriculture, fishing is also important in the region.

Infrastructure

Road traffic

The district is connected to traffic by the New Zealand State Highway 1 , which, coming from the south, crosses the district along the coast to the north.

Rail transport

The South Island Main Trunk Railway also runs along the coast, connecting the district with Invercargill , Dunedin and Christchurch in the south and the northern parts of the South Island. However, only goods are transported on this railway line.

Air traffic

A small airport is located around 7 km southwest of Kaikoura .

November 2016 earthquake

Adelphi Hotel in February 2017

Railroad tracks north of Kaikoura town

On November 14, 2016, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 , which spread from the epicenter 63 km southwest of Kaikoura over 150 km to the north and traversed the district, destroyed large parts of the district's infrastructure. The road surface broke open on numerous streets or landslides blocked the road. The worst hit was State Highway 1 on the coast to the north, which was inaccessible for months. Parts of the route to the south and roads inland were also affected. Rail traffic came to a complete standstill due to damage to the route and landslides. When the route of the South Island Main Trunk Railway will be passable again in 2017 could not be clarified at the beginning of the year. In addition to the damage to the transport infrastructure, numerous power lines and telephone lines were also affected by interruptions. Although most of the houses in the district had withstood the earthquake, structural damage to individual buildings led to their closure or had to be demolished until they were removed.

Web links

• Homepage . Kaikoura District Council,accessed August 9, 2016. 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Postcode Boundaries - Kaikoura District . (PDF 1.4 MB) New Zealand Post , accessed on May 5, 2017 (English).  
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Kaikoura District Council . In: Local Councils . Department of Internal Affairs , accessed August 9, 2016 .  
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Kaikoura District - Population and dwellings . Statistics New Zealand , accessed August 9, 2016 .  
4. ↑ ^{a b} Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed August 9, 2016 .  
5. ↑ GR Macara : The Climate and Weather of Canterbury . In: NIWA Science and Technologies Series . 2nd Edition. Number 68 . National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research , 2016, ISSN 1173-0382 , p.   6, 16, 24, 29 (English, online PDF 6.6 MB [accessed on August 9, 2016]).
6. ↑ 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Kaikoura District - Cultural diversity . Statistics New Zealand , accessed August 9, 2016 .  
7. ↑ Mayor and Councilors . Kaikoura District Council , accessed August 9, 2016 .  
8. ^ Kaikoura Peninsula Tourism Zone . (PDF 286 kB) Kaikoura District Council , accessed on August 9, 2016 (English).