The Ashley Gorge is a river

gorge A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...

of the

Ashley River / Rakahuri The Ashley River (; officially Ashley River / Rakahuri) is in the Canterbury, New Zealand, Canterbury region of New Zealand. It flows generally southeastwards for before entering the Pacific Ocean at Waikuku Beach, Pegasus Bay north of Christc ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, New Zealand. The river is bridged at the mouth of the gorge by the

Inland Scenic Route The Inland Scenic Route is a touring route in Canterbury, New Zealand. In the north, the route starts in Amberley and in the south, it ends at Orari Bridge where it meets State Highway 79 (SH 79). It is on the New Zealand Automobile Asso ...

, formerly designated State Highway 72. A popular picnic ground and camping area is adjacent to the bridge. Upstream of the gorge the river flows through the

Lees Valley Lees may refer to: Businesses * Lees of Scotland, a confectionery maker * Lees Hotel, Ingham, Queensland, Australia * J.W. Lees Brewery, a brewery in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England Places England * Lees, Derbyshire, a village * Lees, Gr ...

. Ashley Gorge is also the name of a small rural locality 2.5 km southwest of the bridge.

Demographics

The Ashley Gorge statistical area covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Ashley Gorge had a population of 1,134 at the

2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...

, an increase of 132 people (13.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 444 people (64.3%) since the 2006 census. There were 420 households, comprising 591 males and 543 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.09 males per female. The median age was 42.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 225 people (19.8%) aged under 15 years, 177 (15.6%) aged 15 to 29, 585 (51.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 147 (13.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 95.8% European/

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

, 5.0%

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 1.1% Pasifika, 2.1% Asian, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 20.1, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 55.3% had no religion, 34.4% were

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

and 2.9% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 159 (17.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 171 (18.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $33,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 147 people (16.2%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 510 (56.1%) people were employed full-time, 150 (16.5%) were part-time, and 18 (2.0%) were unemployed.

References

Canyons and gorges of the Canterbury Region Waimakariri District {{CanterburyNZ-geo-stub