Arundel, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Arundel is a small rural village about 15 km north of Geraldine
, in the Canterbury
region on the South Island
of New Zealand
. It is located near the south bank of the Rangitata River
, 3 km from Peel Forest
, an extensive podocarp
forest with abundant birdlife. Arundel is flat and fertile, with fields and many mature trees.
Arundel has some historical importance. The nearby bridge over the Rangitata River was built in 1872, and was the only bridge linking South Canterbury with the rest of Canterbury until the 1930s when the road bridges on State Highway 1 were constructed. This gave Arundel an important position at the South Canterbury end of the bridge, and the village site was reserved in 1874, two years after the bridge was built. However, the population of Arundel has never exceeded 100.
Arundel Lumber Company Ltd has operated in Arundel since 1951, processing Pinus radiata wood from production forests in South Canterbury, producing around 30 cubic metres of sawn timber per day.
There is a small cemetery south-west of the village, with over 160 graves approached through an avenue of flowering cherry trees.
Geraldine, New Zealand
Geraldine is a town in the Canterbury Region on the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 140 km south of Christchurch, and inland from Timaru, which is 35 km to the south...
, in the Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
region on the 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...
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...
. It is located near the south bank of the Rangitata River
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 120 kilometres from the Southern Alps, entering the Pacific Ocean 30 kilometres northeast of Timaru...
, 3 km from Peel Forest
Peel Forest
Peel Forest is a small community in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It is located near the Peel Forest Park and about 23 km north of Geraldine.The town features a general store and an outdoor recreation facility -External links:*...
, an extensive podocarp
Podocarpaceae
Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. It contains 19 genera if Phyllocladus is included and if Manoao and Sundacarpus are recognized....
forest with abundant birdlife. Arundel is flat and fertile, with fields and many mature trees.
Arundel has some historical importance. The nearby bridge over the Rangitata River was built in 1872, and was the only bridge linking South Canterbury with the rest of Canterbury until the 1930s when the road bridges on State Highway 1 were constructed. This gave Arundel an important position at the South Canterbury end of the bridge, and the village site was reserved in 1874, two years after the bridge was built. However, the population of Arundel has never exceeded 100.
Arundel Lumber Company Ltd has operated in Arundel since 1951, processing Pinus radiata wood from production forests in South Canterbury, producing around 30 cubic metres of sawn timber per day.
There is a small cemetery south-west of the village, with over 160 graves approached through an avenue of flowering cherry trees.