RANGIORA

It’s a pleasure to welcome you to this web gateway to Rangiora!

Rangiora is the largest town and seat of the Waimakariri District, in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is 29 kilometres north of Christchurch, and is part of the Christchurch metropolitan area. Rangiora is the 30th largest urban area in New Zealand, and the fifth-largest in the Canterbury region (behind Christchurch, Timaru, Ashburton and Rolleston).

Rangiora is a vibrant town of over 20,000 residents. Founded in 1878, Rangiora services a prosperous farming district. Rangiora offers the tranquillity and quality of life that comes with a semi rural setting with a strong sense of community.

The highest official temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) at Rangiora on 7 February 1973.

Rangiora has become a gateway for local wineries, which have become popular in North Canterbury and, around Rangiora, there are a number to choose from.

Rangiora boasts two theatre companies: The North Canterbury Musical Society and The Rangiora Players. There are also a number of music, dance and drama schools based in the town, including the Hartley School of Performing Arts. Town Hall Cinemas is based in the newly renovated Rangiora Town Hall and boasts 3 movie theatres of varying sizes.

The studios of radio station Compass FM 104.9 are situated in Rangiora. Compass FM 104.9 is a not-for-profit community station covering the North Canterbury region of New Zealand. From a transmitter atop Mount Grey, the station can be heard over much of North Canterbury, including the Waimakariri District, much of the Hurunui District and Selwyn District, and in greater Christchurch.

Rangiora Football has undergone strong growth recently. The Mainpower Oval has hosted many national cricket matches and is also used by Canterbury Country cricket as its base. Rangiora High School has produced many excellent sportspeople in rugby, basketball, netball, athletics, and rowing in recent years including All Blacks, Silver Ferns and Tall Ferns having attended Rangiora High School over the years. The newly built MainPower Stadium on Coldstream Road provides a range of opportunities for events and recreational, social and economic needs in the community – now and into the future. The facility was officially named MainPower Stadium, after MainPower signed a major sponsorship deal with the North Canterbury Sport and Recreation Trust who are responsible for operating the building. Locally owned, McAlpines Mitre 10 secured the naming rights for the indoor courts and fitness centre.

MainPower Stadium is a facility that will benefit the whole Waimakariri community and everyone who lives here. The Stadium houses sports courts as well as a fitness facility, changing rooms, coaching and meeting spaces, and seating for up to 500 spectators. Its location on Coldstream Road in Rangiora places it next to other popular sporting facilities such as the Waimakariri MainPower Hockey Turf, newly laid tennis courts and football fields, not forgetting the nearby Dudley Park indoor pool complex alongside the Rangiora outdoor netball courts located near the central township. Nearby is the highly regarded Rangiora Golf Club. A spectacular course provides a great day out for all levels of golfing ability. The course is complemented by a practice range, chipping green with practice bunker, putting green, and golf shop. The north facing club rooms are available to hire for events too.

SCHOOLS:

The town has several primary schools and two secondary schools. They are:

Ashgrove School, a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in the north-west of the town with a roll of 448 students (as of November 2022).The school opened in 1967.
Rangiora Borough School, a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in the centre of the town with a roll of 446 students (as of November 2022).The school opened in 1873.
St Joseph’s School, a state-integrated Catholic full primary (Year 1–8) school in the centre of the town with a roll of 154 students (as of November 2022).The school opened in 1887 as a private school and integrated into the state education system in the early 1980s.
Te Matauru Primary, a state full primary (Year 1–8) school in the south-west of the town with a roll of 222 students (as of November 2022).The school opened in 2020.
Rangiora High School, a state co-educational secondary school, which serves Rangiora and the surrounding area, with a roll of 1539 students (as of November 2022).The school opened in 1884.
Rangiora New Life School, a state-integrated Christian area school (year 1-13) situated in the Rangiora suburb of Southbrook. The school opened in 1979 as a private school and integrated into the state education system in the early 1990s. It has a roll of 451 students (as of November 2022).