Rangiora is a rural town 25 km (16 mi) north of Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest town in North Canterbury and the seat of the Waimakariri District Council. The Ashley River is just to the north of the town.

Understand

Rangiora had a population of 15,000 (in 2013). The urban population grew by over 10% in the previous five years, while the rural population has increased more than 25%.

Rangiora suffered damage in the 2010–11 Canterbury earthquakes and a few parts still remain to be fixed.

Rangiora has seen exponential growth since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which pushed a lot more people out to Rangiora. It is very popular with people migrating from the UK.

The highest official temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was 42.4°C (108.3°F) at Rangiora on 7 February 1973. It is usually 1 degree hotter than in Christchurch.

Get in

Church of St John the Baptist

By bus

Metro provides a public bus service from Christchurch on its Blue Line.

By train

Main article: Rail travel in New Zealand

Coastal Pacific (formerly TranzCoastal), +64 4 495 0775 (Freephone 0800 TRAINS (0800 872 467) (NZ only)). Train service operates daily from October through April between Christchurch and Picton via Blenheim and Kaikoura.

• 1 Rangiora railway station, 2 Blackett Street. (updated Oct 2020)

See

• 1 Northbrook Colonial Museum, Spark Lane (off Northbrook Rd), ☏ +64 3 313 7427, +64 27 430 0420. Open by appointment. Extensive collection of colonial exhibits including the country's largest collection of old bricks. $10. (updated Mar 2018)
• 2 Rangiora Museum, 29 Good St, Waimakariri, ☏ +64 3 310 7356. W Su 1:30–4PM. Museum of town history including rooms from 1900, housed in a building that used to be the top floor of a bank before it was moved to the site. (updated Mar 2018)
• 3 St John the Baptist Church. Wooden church built in 1859. (updated Mar 2018)

Do

• Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park. Covers the Ashley River/Rakahuri area from the estuary up to the confluence with the Okuku River. Go fishing, swimming, gamebird hunting, walking, cycling and picnicking. Can be accessed from the northern end of town and other places. (updated Mar 2018)
• 1 Dudley Park Aquatic Centre, 47 Church St. M-F 6AM-9PM, Sa Su 7:30AM-7PM. Indoor swimming pools. (updated Mar 2018)
• 2 Dudley Park Skate Park, Church St. (updated Mar 2018)
• 3 Mitre 10 mega Gymnastics facility, East Belt. (updated Mar 2018)
• Cricket: Canterbury Knights (men) and Magicians (women) usually play at Hagley Park in the city, but sometimes here at Mainpower Oval on Coldstream Road.

Eat

Three supermarkets. New World is popular with the older folks. Countdown is new.

A selection of restaurants of high quality, few dairies and fish n' chip shops, McDonalds and KFC with a splash of bakery.

Lots of rural houses sell their own foods, fruits, milk, produce, flowers, spices, wine, drink, and luxuries on their roadside counters.

Sleep

• 1 Lilybrook Motel, 60 Percival St, ☏ +64 3 3136142. $115–145 for two. (updated Sep 2015)

Go next

• Kaiapoi
• Waipara