Springs Junction is a small settlement and road junction in the West Coast region of New Zealand.[1] It lies at the junction of State Highway 7 and State Highway 65 (the Shenandoah Highway),[1] 45 km (28 mi) east of Reefton,[2] on the main route between Christchurch and the Nelson, Tasman and Buller districts.
| Springs Junction | |
|---|---|
 Approaching the junction from the West Coast along State Highway 7 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Springs Junction, New Zealand | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′05″S 172°10′55″E / 42.334618°S 172.181816°E |
| Roads at junction | State Highway 7 State Highway 65 |
| Construction | |
| Type | Three-way junction |
Geography
editSprings Junction lies on the Alpine Fault.[3] At Springs Junction is a site where geologists have dug trenches to study past earthquakes along the Alpine Fault.[4]
16 km to the east is the thermal resort of Maruia Springs.[1] 6.5 km to the east is the DOC Marble Hill campsite[5]
Springs Junction saw a major increase in traffic flow[6][7] after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. This earthquake closed the main State Highway 1 route and Springs Junction was on the alternative route from Picton to Christchurch.[8] The New Zealand Transport Agency expected the volume of traffic to quadruple while the State Highway 1 route underwent months of repairs.[9]
Amenities
editThe settlement includes two petrol stations (GAS[10][11] and NPD[12]), a café (closed as of March 2023[13]), and some houses.
In July 2022, the government funded the construction of two electric vehicle DC charging stations at Springs Junction. The chargers will fill the gap between Culverden, Reefton and Murchison. As the line supplying Springs Junction is already near capacity, a battery energy storage system will also be installed to defer a supply upgrade.[14]
Notable people
editDaniel White (born 1992),[15] author of Halfstone: A Tale of the Narathlands[16]
Climate
edit| Climate data for Springs Junction, elevation 412 m (1,352 ft), (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1976–1994) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.2 (88.2) |
32.0 (89.6) |
27.2 (81.0) |
24.5 (76.1) |
18.0 (64.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
13.1 (55.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
23.0 (73.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
26.5 (79.7) |
29.7 (85.5) |
32.0 (89.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.0 (69.8) |
21.6 (70.9) |
19.2 (66.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.8 (53.2) |
8.8 (47.8) |
8.3 (46.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.6 (58.3) |
17.9 (64.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.1 (59.2) |
15.2 (59.4) |
13.3 (55.9) |
9.8 (49.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
4.4 (39.9) |
3.6 (38.5) |
5.3 (41.5) |
7.7 (45.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.9 (57.0) |
9.7 (49.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) |
8.8 (47.8) |
7.3 (45.1) |
4.2 (39.6) |
2.1 (35.8) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
0.4 (32.7) |
2.3 (36.1) |
4.4 (39.9) |
5.9 (42.6) |
8.3 (46.9) |
4.3 (39.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 0.7 (33.3) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 230.2 (9.06) |
124.3 (4.89) |
169.1 (6.66) |
147.3 (5.80) |
214.4 (8.44) |
208.8 (8.22) |
251.7 (9.91) |
192.1 (7.56) |
212.7 (8.37) |
261.2 (10.28) |
182.5 (7.19) |
256.1 (10.08) |
2,450.4 (96.46) |
| Source: NIWA[17][18] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b c "Story: West Coast places". Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- ^ "New Zealand: Hanmer Springs & Lewis Pass". TripAdvisor New Zealand. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Alpine Fault moves more than any other known land fault in the world". Stuff. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Scientists digging into new part of South Island's Alpine Fault". Stuff. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Marble Hill Campsite". Department of Conservation.
- ^ "Interislander traffic pours over alpine passes". Otago Daily Times. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "An unexpected boon for Springs Junction after the Kaikoura Earthquake". The New Zealand Herald. 29 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ "Alternative route between Christchurch and Picton established". Stuff. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Traffic on SH7 expected to quadruple while SH1 is repaired". Stuff. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "GAS Station Finder". www.gas.kiwi. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Vollemaere, Michelle (14 July 2021). "Fuel and food stop on busy South Island tourist highway for sale". Stuff. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "NPD Springs Junction". NPD. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Gooch, Carly (3 March 2023). "Once-popular pit stop cafe halfway between Nelson and Christchurch mysteriously abandoned". Stuff. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Sivignon, Cherie (13 July 2022). "Battery-powered EV fast charging at Springs Junction 'first of its kind'". Stuff. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ "Busker writes a fantasy novel inspired by his alternative South Island childhood". Stuff. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Halfstone: A Tale of the Narathlands". Amazon.
- ^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Springs Junction". NIWA. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent number: 4021)". NIWA. Retrieved 5 June 2024.