WATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTEGRAL TO THE inhabitation and development of Canterbury’s flat alluvial plains. The braided river systems weaving their ways from Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, the Southern Alps, across to the Pacific coast were mana whenua’s highways providing passage to mountain passes and the West Coast beyond. These vast plains, built up by the rivers over millions of years, have undergone significant modification during the past two centuries as water resources have been tapped into to create a productive patchwork of fields. More recently, pivot irrigation has extended the water’s reach, further greening the land to support the region’s now billion-dollar dairy industry.
The Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa on the outskirts of Methven is a small but meaningful diversification of both the mid-Canterbury economy and of our valuable but finite water resource. Sited near the Rakaia River and under the shadow of the mountains and Mt Hutt ski area, the pools, like the farmland around, are recipients of water from the 67km-long
