Pleasant Point | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "The name says it all" | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 44°15′40″S 171°7′50″E / 44.26111°S 171.13056°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial authority | Timaru District |
| Community board | Pleasant Point Community Board[1] |
| Ward | Pleasant Point-Temuka |
| Settled | 1864[2] |
| Electorates |
|
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Timaru District Council |
| • Regional council | Environment Canterbury |
| • Mayor of Timaru | Nigel Bowen |
| • Rangitata MP | James Meager |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.21 km2 (2.01 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Population (June 2024)[4] | |
• Total | 1,520 |
| • Density | 290/km2 (760/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode | 7903 |
| Area code | 03 |
| Local iwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Pleasant Point is a small country town in southern Canterbury, New Zealand, some 19 km (12 mi) inland from Timaru, on State Highway 8. It is a service town for the surrounding farming district. One of its main attractions is the heritage railway, the Pleasant Point Museum and Railway, which operates steam locomotives and one of only two Model T Ford railcar replicas in the world. It attracts about 10,000 people a year. For almost one hundred years, the Fairlie branch line railway passed through the town. It closed on 2 March 1968, and the heritage line utilises 2.5 km (1.6 mi) of track along the branch's old route.
Pleasant Point is also known for glassblowing, taxidermy, blacksmithing and custard squares,[5] and Māori rock art can be viewed nearby. Vineyards have also been established in the area. It also has two primary schools, a preschool and a play centre. Pleasant Point High School was closed by the Labour government in 2004.[6] It has two rivers nearby, the Ōpihi and the TeNgawai; the two rivers meet just to the north of the town.
A 1901 census placed the town's population at 749.[7]
- ^ "Pleasant Point Community Board - Timaru District Council". www.timaru.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "Pleasant Point | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Areawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ Wilson, John (17 July 2015). "Cakes from Pleasant Point". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- ^ "Pleasant Point High School (355) Closure Notice - 2004-go3747 - New Zealand Gazette".
- ^ "RESULTS OF A CENSUS OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND TAKEN FOR THE NIGHT OF THE 31ST MARCH, 1901". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 14 November 2021.