Rakaia
Encyclopedia
The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River
on the Canterbury Plains
in New Zealand
's South Island
, on State Highway 1 and the Main South Line
. Immediately north of the township are the country's longest road bridge and longest rail bridge, both of which cross the wide shingle beds of the braided river
at this point. Both bridges are approximately 1750 metres in length.
Rakaia was also the junction of the Methven Branch
, a branch line
railway to Methven
that operated from 1880 until its closure in 1976. An accident at the railway station
in 1899 killed four people.
A township of under 1000 people, its most obvious feature is a large fibreglass
salmon
. The river from which the town takes its name is known for its salmon fishing and jetboat
ing.
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...
on the Canterbury Plains
Canterbury Plains
The Canterbury Plains are an area in New Zealand 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...
in 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...
, on State Highway 1 and the Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
. Immediately north of the township are the country's longest road bridge and longest rail bridge, both of which cross the wide shingle beds of the braided river
Braided river
A braided river is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a network of small channels separated by small and often temporary islands called braid bars or, in British usage, aits or eyots. Braided streams occur in rivers with high slope and/or large sediment load...
at this point. Both bridges are approximately 1750 metres in length.
Rakaia was also the junction of the Methven Branch
Methven Branch
The Methven Branch was a branch line railway that was part of New Zealand's national rail network in Canterbury. It opened in 1880 and operated until 1976.-Construction:...
, a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway to Methven
Methven, New Zealand
Methven is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located near the western edge of the Canterbury Plains, 35 kilometres north of Ashburton. It was originally the railhead of a short branch railway off the Main South Line...
that operated from 1880 until its closure in 1976. An accident at the railway station
Rakaia railway accident
The Rakaia railway accident at Rakaia, Canterbury, New Zealand on the evening of Saturday, 11 March 1899 occurred when the second of two excursion trains returning from Ashburton to Christchurch, ran into the rear of the first at the Rakaia Railway Station, killing four passengers...
in 1899 killed four people.
A township of under 1000 people, its most obvious feature is a large fibreglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. The river from which the town takes its name is known for its salmon fishing and jetboat
Jetboat
A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses a propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat into a pump inside the boat, then expels it through a nozzle at the...
ing.