RANGIORA

History

Rangiora is a historic settlement, with a proud heritage and an exciting future.
Starting in 1852 as a sawmilling town, Rangiora became the administrative and commercial centre for a large area of farms and orchards. It is now home to many commuters to Christchurch.

Famous Landmarks

Buildings of interest include the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist – one of Canterbury’s largest and most beautiful wooden churches, designed by Benjamin Mountfort.  For a glimpse into Rangiora’s cultural and commercial past, the town’s multiple museums are the place to go. Displaying colonial and agricultural relics – most notably the well-restored early farm machinery – Rangiora’s centrally located museums are an educational introduction to the town. Out on the streets, the Landmarks project serves as a small heritage trail, detailing the history behind some of Rangiora’s oldest buildings; look out for the informative Landmarks plaques.

Real Estate & Design

Rangiora has a varied range of housing styles from character homes of the 1920’s to a large number of more modern homes which were built in the 1970’s to 1980’s. In more recent times we have seen stylish homes being built in north west of Rangiora in subdivisions like The Birches, The Oaks and the Oxford Estate.

Shopping & Restaurants

On the surface, Rangiora is a bustling service town, providing the surrounding area with ample shopping, dining and community facilities.Rangiora restaurants include JRs Bar & Grill, The Rangiora Brewhouse, The Plough Hotel and Monteiths Brewery Bar & Restaurant.

As a flourishing business locale, Rangiora is home to some unusual yet successful business ventures that are well worth a visit. Possibly the most intriguing is New Zealand’s first (and only) commercial meadery, from where mead (or ‘honey wine’) is produced from local ingredients and exported throughout the world. Other exciting enterprises include a hands-on sheep experience; locally made cheeses and wines; locally grown truffles; and farms – from sheep and beef to deer, alpaca, emu and ostrich!

Sport and Recreation

Rangiora has a 9-hole golf course practise facility available for locals and tourists, a squash club and a riding centre

Schools, Education and institutions

There are a wide range of well-respected schools in the area including Rangiora High School, Ashgrove Primary School and Southbrook School.

Distance from CBD and Travelling Distances

Rangiora is 28.5 kilometres north and 25 minutes drive from Christchurch CBD.