Orari, New Zealand
Orari (Maori: "Ōrari") is a small town in the South-Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island, roughly midway between Ashburton to the north, and Timaru to the south it is the northern most town of South Canterbury.
The outskirts of Orari consists of mainly 2-8 hectare "lifestyle blocks", domestic land parcels where families graze farm animals including horses, sheep and cattle. Surrounding the town is pastoral farmland including sheep raised for wool and meat, small scale horse breeding, and large scale dairy farming, orchards supporting fruit and nut production, and small support businesses supporting bee wax refining, irrigation, and agricultural and farming activities.
Orari is the location of the Orari racecourse, the site of the region's annual Christmas horse racing event.
State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway pass through the east edge of Orari, turning off State Highway 1 into Orari provides travelers easy access to the McKenzie country, Tekapo and Mt Cook.
Generally warm dry summers (typically highs are 22-32C) that can be affected by strong NW winds exceeding 100 km/hr, with cool dry winters with little snow fall and a high number of frost nights. Orari rainfall was less than 600mm (24 inches) for both 2014 and 2015.
Coordinates: 44°08′14″S 171°17′53″E / 44.13736°S 171.29807°E