| Ashburton, New Zealand |
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Ashburton is located on State Highway 1 86 km south of Christchurch. The Main South Line portion of the South Island Main Trunk Railway also runs through the centre of town, but passenger services ceased on 10 February 2002 . The town is the centre of a rich agricultural and pastoral farming district, part of the Canterbury Plains . It has one large relatively separate suburb, Tinwald , which is south of the main town and Ashburton River . Tinwald was once the junction for the now-closed Mount Somers Branch railway line. Prominent residents have included the town's former Member of Parliament and Prime Minister Of New Zealand , Jenny Shipley , international operatic tenor Simon O'Neill and New Zealand television and radio personality Simon Barnett . Ashburton was named by the surveyor Captain Joseph Thomas of the New Zealand Land Association , after Francis Baring , 3rd Baron Ashburton , who was a member of the Canterbury Association . The town is laid out around two central squares (either side of the railway line and main highway), 'Baring Square East' and 'Baring Square West'. A common nickname for Ashburton is 'Ashvegas', an ironic allusion to Las Vegas . This may be due to the perceived respectability, and conservatism of the residents, and the notable lack of nightlife within the town, coupled with it being the bright lights in the middle of the desert (Las Vegas) or plains (Ashburton). ECONOMY Much of Ashburton's industry is oriented towards servicing the surrounding farmland. Additionally, it is currently the site of New Zealand's only bus manufacturer, Designline. Another notable manufacturer in Ashburton is Ashford's, the world's largest producer of Spinning Wheels . Ashburton has a daily newspaper, the Ashburton Guardian , a weekly free community newspaper The Courier and a local radio station Fox FM . The town also has local versions of Newstalk ZB and Classic Hits that broadcast from the town on the frequencies perviously used by local station 3ZE . RECREATION Opportunities within the town itself are limited to the kind of activities that could be expected for a town of its size (e.g., movie theatre, swimming pool). There is a walking track along the northern side of the river from SH1 coastwards, for some distance. Slightly further afield, the number of opportunities rises dramatically. The beaches adjacent to Ashburton are steep and shingly with a strong undertow, making them unswimmable. In part to rectify the limitations imposed by the lack of recreational waterways, Lake Hood was constructed just south-east of Tinwald . It provides rowing, swimming, and water-skiing opportunities. The Ashburton , Rakaia , and Rangitata Rivers offer good fishing. Upper reaches of the Rangitata are frequently kayaked and rafted, reaching Grades 3-4. The Rakaia is known for jet-boating. The ''' Ashburton Lakes ''' (''' Lake Heron ''', ''' Lake Camp ''', ''' Lake Clearwater ''', and a number of smaller lakes) are around an hour and a half inland, and also offer water sport and fishing opportunities, plus ice-skating in winter. Mount Hutt is a prominent South Island skifield, located an hour inland, just past Methven . REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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