Tarras

Tarras is a small farming settlement in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand.

Tarras
Village
Tarras

Location of Tarras within New Zealand

Coordinates: 44°50′S 169°25′E / 44.833°S 169.417°E / -44.833; 169.417Coordinates: 44°50′S 169°25′E / 44.833°S 169.417°E / -44.833; 169.417
Country New Zealand
Region Otago
Territorial authority Central Otago Region
Elevation 290 m (950 ft)
Time zone NZST (UTC+12)
  Summer (DST) NZDT (UTC+13)
Area code 03

Tarras is located on the slopes above the upper reaches of the Clutha Valley, on State Highway 8. It is the first village reached by travellers heading south through the Lindis Pass, and is close to the junction where travellers from Mount Cook turn west towards Hawea, Wanaka, and the Haast Pass.

Most farms in the Tarras district run sheep, principally merino sheep farmed for their super-fine wool. Some also raise other sheep breeds and deer. Since the introduction of large-scale irrigation from 2010, many farms are converting to beef cattle.

Vineyards have been established in the region since 2000, growing mainly pinot noir and riesling grapes. The Tarras vineyards are classified as being in the Bendigo sub-region.[1]

Tarras is one of the driest areas in New Zealand, with annual rainfall of between 300 and 500 millimetres (12 and 20 in).[2]

Community Institutions

Tarras School is known nationally as the school whose friends group published several children's books about Shrek, the hermit Merino sheep.

Tarras Church (Anglican & Presbyterian) is known for its historic kneelers created to celebrate the centennial of New Zealand women's suffrage.

Tarras Rural Women publish the community newsletter, Tarras Talk.

The Tarras Tearooms is a historic waystation for travellers through the Lindis Pass.

Wine sub-region

The area around Tarras is in the Bendigo sub-region, one of the major subregions of the Central Otago wine region with several top wineries and vineyards. As with other parts of the wine region, the main grape variety in the area is pinot noir, with some plantings of pinot gris and riesling.

Vineyards and Wineries in the area[3]

  • Maori Point Vineyard [4]
  • Swallows Crossing Vineyard

Further reading

External links

References

  1. "Bendigo Vineyards and Wineries". Central Otago Winegrowers Association. Retrieved April 2015.
  2. "Lindis catchment and Bendigo-Tarras Basin: Information Sheet" (PDF). Otago Regional Council. April 2014. p. 2. Retrieved April 2015.
  3. "Bendigo Vineyards and Wineries". Central Otago Winegrowers Association. Retrieved April 2015.
  4. "Maori Point Vineyard".
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, December 09, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.