Ashers
Encyclopedia
Ashers is a locality in the Southland Region
of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is situated east of Invercargill
on the Southern Scenic Route
as it runs between Kapuka
and Gorge Road
. Other nearby settlements include Oteramika
to the north and Kapuka South
to the south. Also south is the Waituna Lagoon and Toetoes Bay
.
figures prominently. Significant lignite
coal
deposits are also located in the area. The Ashers-Waituna coalfield
contains roughly 746 million tonne
s of recoverable coal. Exploratory work has been undertaken, but commercial mining has not yet taken place.
A common stop for tourists and locals is the old Ashers Lignite pit, of which transformed into a 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) lakeside garden still featuring walls of lignite and retaining the original pit shape hosting a café and campervan park.
from Mokotua
to Gorge Road was opened, with a station located in Ashers. Trains operated from Invercargill and return only a couple of times a week until a further extension to Waimahaka
opened in 1899. At this point, a daily mixed train
from Waimahaka to Invercargill and return began operating. The line's profitability declined from the 1930s, and in 1951, the mixed train was cut to run just once a week as a cost-saving measure, with goods-only trains on other days. On 1 June 1960, all passenger services through Ashers were cancelled; freight also continued to remain at unprofitable levels, and the whole line closed on 31 March 1966. Some of the line's old formation
can still be seen in the vicinity of Ashers.
Southland Region
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It is situated east of Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
on the Southern Scenic Route
Southern Scenic Route
The Southern Scenic Route is a tourist highway in New Zealand linking Queenstown, Fiordland, Te Anau and the iconic Milford Road to Dunedin via, Riverton, Invercargill and The Catlins...
as it runs between Kapuka
Kapuka, New Zealand
Kapuka is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated between Mokotua to the west and Ashers to the east on the Southern Scenic Route; Oteramika is to the north, and Kapuka South, Waituna Lagoon, and Toetoes Bay are to the south.- Economy :Agriculture figures...
and Gorge Road
Gorge Road
Gorge Road is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is on the Southern Scenic Route and is situated on the western bank of the Mataura River...
. Other nearby settlements include Oteramika
Oteramika
Oteramika is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is in a rural setting near Waituna and Woodlands to the north, Rimu to the west, and to the south on the Southern Scenic Route are Mokotua, Kapuka, and Ashers...
to the north and Kapuka South
Kapuka South
Kapuka South is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated on Toetoes Bay and Waituna Lagoon. Kapuka and Ashers are to the north on the Southern Scenic Route.- Economy :...
to the south. Also south is the Waituna Lagoon and Toetoes Bay
Toetoes Bay
Toetoes Bay is the easternmost of three large bays lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Te Waewae Bay and Oreti Beach. Thirty kilometres in length, the bay is the southern end of the Awarua Plain, an area of swampy land stretching inland for about fifteen...
.
Economy
Ashers is in a rural area and thus agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
figures prominently. Significant lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
deposits are also located in the area. The Ashers-Waituna coalfield
Coalfield
A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological...
contains roughly 746 million tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s of recoverable coal. Exploratory work has been undertaken, but commercial mining has not yet taken place.
A common stop for tourists and locals is the old Ashers Lignite pit, of which transformed into a 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) lakeside garden still featuring walls of lignite and retaining the original pit shape hosting a café and campervan park.
Railway
On 1 March 1895, an extension of the Seaward Bush BranchTokanui Branch
The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a branch line railway located in Southland, New Zealand. It diverged from the Bluff Branch south of the main railway station in Invercargill and ran for 54 kilometres in a southeasterly direction...
from Mokotua
Mokotua
Mokotua is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area east of Invercargill, between Timpanys and Kapuka on the Southern Scenic Route. To the south are Toetoes Bay and Waituna Lagoon; Rimu is to the north....
to Gorge Road was opened, with a station located in Ashers. Trains operated from Invercargill and return only a couple of times a week until a further extension to Waimahaka
Waimahaka
Waimahaka is a locality in the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area, inland from Toetoes Bay. Nearby settlements include Pine Bush and Titiroa to the northwest, Fortification and Te Peka to the east, Pukewao and Tokanui to the southwest, and Fortrose on...
opened in 1899. At this point, a daily mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
from Waimahaka to Invercargill and return began operating. The line's profitability declined from the 1930s, and in 1951, the mixed train was cut to run just once a week as a cost-saving measure, with goods-only trains on other days. On 1 June 1960, all passenger services through Ashers were cancelled; freight also continued to remain at unprofitable levels, and the whole line closed on 31 March 1966. Some of the line's old formation
Track bed
A track bed or trackbed is the term used to describe the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links....
can still be seen in the vicinity of Ashers.