Maniototo Plain
The Maniototo Plain is a fertile plain enclosed by a mountain landscape in Otago on the South Island of New Zealand .
geography
The Maniototo Plain is located in Central Otago and runs in a northeastern direction between the Rough Ridge in the west and the Rock and Pillar Range in the east. The north is enclosed by the Ida Range and the Kakanui Mountains . The Taieri River flows through the plain and, with its many tributaries, ensures that the plain is irrigated. The largest and second largest cities in the plain are Ranfurly and Naseby . Ranfurly is located directly on the New Zealand State Highway 85 , which crosses the plain in the northern part.
history
There is no evidence that Māori settled in the Maniototo Plain. But they did roam the country on their journey to the west coast to find Pounamu , Greenstone or NZ Jade. On their journey they hunted the moas (now extinct) and left earth ovens for the preparation of the hāngi . There is also evidence that Maori mined quartz for the manufacture of sharp tools in the Oturehua area, 16 miles from Ranfurly .
The Maniototo Plain was, like all parts of Otago, settled by Europeans in the middle of the 19th century and got its boom with the gold rush in Otago (1861–1863). Farmers and prospectors populated the country. The formation of cities in the plain was boosted by the construction of the Otago Central Railway Line , from Dunedin to Cromwell , whereby the construction section from Middlemarch to Clyde between 1891 and 1907 established the cities of Kokonga, (1897), Ranfurly (1897), Waipiata (1898) and Wedderburn (1900), the latter as a train and stagecoach station, which at 570 m was the highest point on this train journey.
After the decline in gold mining and the suspension of the railway connection from Middlemarch to Cromwell in 1980, the Maniototo Plain became quieter. What remained in the end was farming .
nature and landscape
Although New Zealand is made up of islands, the landscape of the Maniototo Plain is exposed to a kind of continental climate . With an average of only 66 rainy days, between 300 mm and 600 mm of precipitation fall . The summers are very warm with up to 35 degrees Celsius and the winters can bring temperatures down to −15 degrees Celsius.
Despite the relatively low rainfall, the plain consists of fertile land. Glacier deposits and the water supply through the Taieri ensured this. Large parts of the country are overgrown by tussock , which is currently represented in New Zealand in 16 different forms.
use
Even today, agricultural use and sheep breeding represent the main source of income for the residents. In recent years, the dairy industry and, above all, a steadily increasing tourism . Tours for tourists are often offered and represent an additional source of income for the locals.
The Taieri River with its tributaries is used intensively for fishing .
literature
- Maniototo Community Plan , Central Otago District Council, Alexandra, February 2007.
Web links
- Maniototo - Maniototo Promotors