X-Nico

9 unusual facts about Central Otago


Central Otago

Recently the cool climate varieties Riesling and Pinot noir have been recognised as being especially suitable, and as the vines age Central Otago wines can be expected to improve even further, as the plantings are new and increasing rapidly.

The wide flat plateau of the Maniototo which lies between the upper reaches of the Taieri River and the Clutha's northern tributary the Manuherikia is also usually considered part of Central Otago.

Drift to the north

Recent censuses have shown a slowing of the rate of drift, with increasing numbers of North Islanders heading to the South island's popular scenic regions such as Central Otago.

Fruitlands

Fruitlands, New Zealand, 19th century gold mining settlement in the Central Otago district of the South Island; picturesque tourist area which takes its name from unsuccessful 1920s orchards

Kunzea ericoides

Members of the kānuka complex are found throughout New Zealand occurring on the Three Kings Islands, Aotea (Great Barrier Island), from Te Paki (on the Aupouri Peninsula) at the northern tip of the North Island to as far south as Dunedin and Central Otago in the South Island, and the Stewart Island.

Marcus Turner

Following this, while training to become a television director, he acted as musical director for "A Drop of the Pure Stuff", a televised folk concert from Central Otago.

Otago cricket team

The warm, dry summer climate of Central Otago can make for better cricketing conditions than the wetter coastal areas.

Phaulacridium marginale

Of the two New Zealand Phaulacridium grasshoppers, Phaulacridium otagoense is endemic to the South Island (Mackenzie Basin and Central Otago).

Thorney's Cooking Central

"Thorney's Cooking Central" is shot on location in Central Otago, which is located in the deep south of New Zealand.


Cannabis in New Zealand

Detective Travis Hughes and Christopher Scott were killed when their Cessna 172 crashed in Central Otago while on cannabis reconnaissance.

Lawrence, New Zealand

The town was named for Sir Henry Lawrence, hero of the Lucknow military campaign of 1857, and is billed as "The Gateway To Central Otago".

Paerau

The Dunstan Trail (now a dry weather road) from Dunedin to the Central Otago goldfields crosses the Rock and Pillar Range from Clark's Junction (near Middlemarch) and descends into the Upper Taieri, whence it crosses the Styx Creek.

Waimate Branch

One of the proposals for the Otago Central Railway was to build a line from Oamaru to Naseby, and in 1877 an invitation was extended to the Waimate County Council to partake in a plan to connect Waimate to the Oamaru-Naseby line in either Duntroon or Livingstone and thus establish a through route from Central Otago to Canterbury.


see also

Acaena tesca

Acaena tesca is a species of low growing perennial plant restricted to the upper slopes of the mountains of central Otago and northern Southland in the South Island of New Zealand.

Bannockburn, New Zealand

Wine in this region, like the majority of Central Otago, focuses primarily on Pinot noir, suited to the dry climate and soils.

William Gilbert Rees

The Rees River in Central Otago is named after Rees, and his statue stands on Rees Street, near the town pier.