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Central Otago
*** Shopping-Tip: Central Otago
'''Central Otago''' is the inland part of the
New Zealand Regions of New Zealand region of
Otago in the
South Island. The area commonly known as Central Otago includes both the '''Central Otago District''' and the
Queenstown-Lakes District to the west.
The area is dominated by mountain ranges and the upper reaches of the
Clutha River and tributaries. The wide flat plateau of the
Maniototo which lies between the upper reaches of the
Taieri River and the Clutha's northern tributary the
Manuherikia River Manuherikia is also usually considered part of Central Otago.
Characterised by cold winters and hot, dry summers, the area is only lightly populated, although there has recently been considerable development around the tourist towns of
Queenstown, New Zealand Queenstown and
Wanaka. First significant European occupation came with the discovery of
gold at
Gabriel's Gully near
Lawrence, New Zealand Lawrence in
1861, which led to the
Central Otago goldrush. Other towns and villages include
Albert Town, New Zealand Albert Town,
Alexandra, New Zealand Alexandra,
Arrowtown,
Bannockburn, New Zealand Bannockburn,
Clyde, New Zealand Clyde,
Cromwell, New Zealand Cromwell,
Hawea,
Millers Flat, New Zealand Millers Flat,
Naseby, New Zealand Naseby, Oturehua,
Ranfurly, New Zealand Ranfurly,
Roxburgh, New Zealand Roxburgh,
Saint Bathans, New Zealand St. Bathans, and
Wedderburn (Otago) Wedderburn.
Since the
19th century, most of the area's economic activity has centred on sheep,
stone fruit, and tourism. In recent years,
deer farms and
vineyards have increased the region's economic diversification. Recently the cool climate varieties
Riesling and
Pinot Noir have been recognised as being especially suitable, and as the vines age
Central Otago Wine Region Central Otago wines can be expected to improve even further, as the plantings are new and increasing rapidly. Central Otago is the world's southernmost commercial wine production region.
Administration
The Central Otago District Council, based in Alexandra, controls territorial authority matters, while the
Otago Regional Council has overview of environmental matters such as clean air and water resources.
"Central"
The colloquial name for Central Otago is simply "Central". Residents from the surrounding regions may not talk about being ''in'' Central Otago or going ''to'' Central Otago - instead referring to being or going "up Central" (this usage is mainly limited to residents of
Canterbury, New Zealand Canterbury,
Otago and
Southland Region Southland).''
External links
-
Three dozen profiles of relevant websites
-
Central Otago District Council
{{Territorial Authorities of New Zealand}}
Category:Otago
category: Territorial Authorities of New Zealand
de:Central-Otago-Distrikt
*** Shopping-Tip: Central Otago
