Methven (New Zealand)
Methven | ||
Geographical location | ||
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Coordinates | 43 ° 38 ′ S , 171 ° 39 ′ E | |
Region ISO | NZ-CAN | |
Country | New Zealand | |
region | Canterbury | |
District | Ashburton District | |
Ward | Western Ward | |
Residents | 1 707 (2013) | |
height | 320 m | |
Post Code | 7730 |
Methven is a town in the Ashburton District of Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand .
geography
The place is near the western edge of the Canterbury Plains , 35 km north of Ashburton . The New Zealand State Highway 77 , which connects the town with Darfield in the northeast and Ashburton in the south, runs through Methven .
history
Once the place was the end point of a short branch line of the South Island Main Trunk Railway , the Methven Branch , which branched off at Rakaia . This line ran from Rakaia through Lauriston and Lyndhurst to Methven and operated from 1880 to 1976.
Methven is a rural service center, characterized by ski tourism in winter and the closest place to the ski area on Mount Hutt . Therefore there are a number of cafes, bars, restaurants and accommodation options that are mostly frequented in winter. In addition to skiing, hot air balloon rides are popular.
Methven was home to Rajah , New Zealand's first police dog , in the 1930s . In 2007 a memorial was erected to him in front of the local police station.
Methven also served as the home of the film crew and actors during the shooting in Edoras in the film Lord of the Rings , which took place further inland.
population
In the 2013 census, the town had 1,707 inhabitants, 22.1% more than in the 2006 census.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 2013 Census QuickStats about a place: Methven . Statistics New Zealand , accessed August 28, 2014 .
- ↑ Topo250 maps . Land Information New Zealand , accessed August 6, 2017 .
- ↑ RAJAH - the wonder dog from Methven . Ashburton Online - Ashburton District Council , archived from the original on October 30, 2014 ; accessed on January 14, 2016 (English, original website no longer available).