Mid Canterbury (also spelt Mid-Canterbury and mid-Canterbury) is a traditional, semi-official subregion of New Zealand's

Canterbury Region Canterbury ( mi, Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current fo ...

extending inland from the Pacific coast to the

Southern Alps The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The name "Souther ...

. It is one of four traditional sub-regions of Canterbury, along with

South Canterbury South Canterbury is the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the Waitaki River (the border with the Otago Region) to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the South ...

North Canterbury Canterbury ( mi, Waitaha) is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of The region in its current fo ...

, and Christchurch City. The area is mainly agricultural, extending as it does across the

Canterbury Plains The Canterbury Plains () are an area in New Zealand centred in the Mid Canterbury, 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 ...

, rising in the west to the high country. Beyond this the land rises sharply to the main divide and peaks of the Southern Alps. Several prominent peaks lie in Mid Canterbury, most notably the country's 23rd-highest mountain, the Mount Dixon. Various points are designated as being the southern and northern limits of Mid Canterbury, but all definitions of it include that area between the mouths of the

Rangitata River The Rangitata River is one of the braided rivers that helped form the Canterbury Plains in southern New Zealand. It flows southeast for from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean northeast of Timaru. The river has a catchment area of , ...

and

Rakaia River The Rakaia River is in the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island. The Rakaia River is one of the largest braided rivers in New Zealand. The Rakaia River has a mean flow of and a mean annual seven-day low flow of . In the 1850s, Euro ...

s, roughly coterminous with the

Ashburton District Ashburton District is a Districts of New Zealand, territorial authority district in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It encompasses the town of Ashburton, New Zealand, Ashburton, a number of small towns and settlements an ...

. Some definitions push the northern border north to include

Lake Coleridge Lake Coleridge ( mi, Whakamatau) is located in inland Canterbury, in New Zealand's South Island. Located to the northwest of Methven, it has a surface area of . The lake is situated in an over-deepened valley formed by a glacier over 20,000 yea ...

and the approaches to

Arthur's Pass Arthur's Pass, previously called Camping Flat then Bealey Flats, and for some time officially Arthurs Pass, is a township in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, located in the Selwyn district. It is a popular base for explorin ...

, and increase the southern extent to include the

Peel Forest Peel Forest is a small community in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It is located near the Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve and about north of Geraldine. The town features a Cafe & Bar, a camping ground and an outdoor recreation facility. ...

and

Orari Gorge The Orari River is a river of the south Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It rises to the northwest of the Four Peaks Range, initially flowing north then east to circumnavigate the range before flowing southeast across the Canterbu ...

. Mid Canterbury has an area of some and a population of about 37,500, of whom a little over half live in the town of Ashburton. Smaller towns include Methven, Rakaia, Mt Somers, Mayfield and Hinds. Other features of the region include

Mount Hutt Mount Hutt ( mi, Opuke) rises to the west of the Canterbury Plains in the South Island of New Zealand, above the braided upper reaches of the Rakaia River, and 80 kilometres west of Christchurch. Its summit is 2190 metres above sea level. The N ...

and its associated skifield, the

Ashburton River / Hakatere The Ashburton River / Hakatere is a river in the Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the Ri ...

and

Ashburton Lakes Lake Clearwater is a village in the Ashburton District of New Zealand next to a lake of the same name. A basic camp ground is located between the village and the lake. Demographics Lake Clearwater is in the Ashburton Lakes statistical area, wh ...

, the

Rakaia Gorge The Rakaia Gorge is located on the Rakaia River in inland Canterbury in New Zealand's South Island. Like its neighbour, the Waimakariri River, the Rakaia runs through wide shingle beds for much of its length, but is forced through a narrow ca ...

Pudding Hill Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, inst ...

, and

Rangitata Island Rangitata Island is a long lens-shaped island in the delta of the braided Rangitata River in Canterbury, New Zealand, approximately halfway between Timaru and Ashburton, New Zealand. The island is approximately long and about wide at its w ...

. Many corporations, companies, and government agencies within the area use "Mid Canterbury" as part of their names, notably the

Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union (MCRFU) is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand. History The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1904 as Ashburton Country, first as a sub-union of the South Canterbury Rugby ...

. A former political electorate of Mid-Canterbury existed between 1928 and 1946.

References

External links

Experience Mid CanterburyMid Canterbury
''Christchurchnz.com'' *Carlson, L.
Mid-Canterbury: The South Island's best-kept secret
" AA New Zealand. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2018. {{coord, 43, 45, S, 171, 30, E, region:NZ, display=title Canterbury, New Zealand