Location of the Canterbury Plains

The Canterbury Plains is an area bounded by the foothills of the Southern Alps and the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. They are centred to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in the south they merge into the plains of North Otago beyond the Waitaki River. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1234x1395, 248 KB)Location map of the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1234x1395, 248 KB)Location map of the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Southern Alps is a mountain range which runs along the western side of the South Island of New Zealand. ... The South Island The South Island forms one of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the North Island. ... For other uses, see Christchurch (disambiguation). ... The New Zealand region of Canterbury mostly comprises the Canterbury Plains. ... The Hundalee Hills are located close to the borders of Canterbury and Marlborough in the South Island of New Zealand. ... The Hurunui District is a political district on the east coast of New Zealands South Island, north of Christchurch, New Zealand. ... Typical North Otago landscape, looking north from near Herbert The town of Oamaru, North Otagos principal settlement The district of North Otago in New Zealand covers the area of Otago between Shag Point and the Waitaki River, and extends inland to the west as far as the village of... The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. ...

The Canterbury Plains are formed from the alluvial shingle fans of several largerivers, notably the Waimakariri, the Rakaia, the Selwyn, and the Rangitata Rivers. The land is suitable for moderately intensive livestock farming, but is prone to droughts, especially when the prevailing wind is from the northwest. At these times, the weather phenomenon known as the Nor'west arch can be seen across much of the plain. An alluvial plain is a relatively flat and gently sloping landform found at the base of a range of hills. ... The Waimakariri River is a river in Canterbury, in the South Island of New Zealand. ... The Rakaia River is one of the principal rivers of the Canterbury Plains in New Zealands South Island. ... The Selwyn River is located in the South Island of New Zealand. ... The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. ... The Norwest arch is a weather pattern peculiar to the east coast of New Zealands South Island. ...

The rivers of the Canterbury Plains have a distinctive braided appearance, which differentiates this area from the plains of North Otago to the south. Beyond the Waitaki, the rivers typically have narrower, well, formed channels, rather than spreading across wide shingle depressions, as is the case in Canterbury. The most famous example of a large braided stream in the United States is the Platte River in central and western Nebraska. ...

Most of the population of Canterbury lives in a series of large and small towns arranged northeast to southwest along the plains, and connected by State Highway 1. These include Christchurch, Ashburton, and Timaru, along with the smaller towns of Kaiapoi, Dunsandel, Rakaia, Temuka, and Glenavy. Other town of the plains include Rangiora, Leeston, Lincoln, Darfield, Geraldine, Methven, and Waimate. The New Zealand State Highway Shield. ... Ashburton is a town in the Canterbury region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Timaru is a major port city in south Canterbury, New Zealand, located 160 kilometres south of Christchurch and about 200 kilometres north of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. ... Kaiapoi is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, located close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. ... The town of Dunsandel is on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealands South Island. ... The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealands South Island. ... Categories: New Zealand geography stubs | Canterbury, New Zealand | Cities and towns in New Zealand ... Glenavy is a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Rangiora is a rural town in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Leeston is a small town with a population of 1,203 (2001 census), on the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Lincoln is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Darfield is a town in the South Island of New Zealand. ... Geraldine is the name of several places: Geraldine, New Zealand Two towns in the United States: Geraldine, Alabama Geraldine, Montana This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Methven is a town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. ... Panorama of the view from the white horse overlooking Waimate township Waimate is a town and district in the South Island of New Zealand. ...