Lowcliffe
Encyclopedia
Lowcliffe is a lightly populated locality in the mid-Canterbury
region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is situated on the shore of the Pacific Ocean
between the mouths of the Hinds
and Rangitata River
s. Nearby settlements include Coldstream to the west by the Rangitata River, Longbeach
to the east on the other side of the Hinds River's mouth, and Hinds
to the north. The closest towns of significant size are Ashburton
to the northeast and Geraldine
to the west.
Lowcliffe is situated in a rural area that supports agricultural activities
such as cropping
, sheep husbandry
, and dairy farming
. It has a small primary school that caters for students from grade 1 to 8 and it has served the community continuously since its opening on 28 August 1893 with a roll of ten students. In 2011, Lowcliffe School closed after 118 years of operation due to declining school numbers.
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 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 on the shore of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
between the mouths of the Hinds
Hinds River
The Hinds River is a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Its north and south branches drain the eastern flank of the Moorhouse Range, part of the Southern Alps, and their confluence is near Anama and Mayfield. The river then flows across the Canterbury Plains towards the Pacific Ocean,...
and 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...
s. Nearby settlements include Coldstream to the west by the Rangitata River, Longbeach
Longbeach, New Zealand
Longbeach is a lowly populated locality in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located in a rural area of the Canterbury Plains on the shore of the Pacific Ocean on the northern side of the Hinds River's mouth....
to the east on the other side of the Hinds River's mouth, and Hinds
Hinds, New Zealand
Hinds is a small town in the Mid-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains on the south bank of the Hinds River, which reaches the Pacific Ocean between the nearby localities of Longbeach and Lowcliffe...
to the north. The closest towns of significant size are Ashburton
Ashburton, New Zealand
Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...
to the northeast and Geraldine
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...
to the west.
Lowcliffe is situated in a rural area that supports agricultural activities
Agriculture
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...
such as cropping
Crop (agriculture)
A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize , wheat, rice, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. While the term "crop" most commonly refers to plants, it can also include...
, sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
, and dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
. It has a small primary school that caters for students from grade 1 to 8 and it has served the community continuously since its opening on 28 August 1893 with a roll of ten students. In 2011, Lowcliffe School closed after 118 years of operation due to declining school numbers.