Rai Valley is a rural settlement in Marlborough, New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 6, 68 km (42 mi) northwest of Blenheim and 46 km (29 mi) east of Nelson. The Rai River runs past the locality to join the Pelorus River at the locality of Pelorus Bridge to the south.[6][7] At the 2018 census, the settlement had a population of 177.[8]
Rai Valley | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Rai Valley | |
| Coordinates: 41°13′39″S 173°34′59″E / 41.22750°S 173.58306°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| District | Marlborough |
| Ward |
|
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Marlborough District Council |
| • Marlborough District Mayor | Nadine Taylor[1] |
| • Kaikōura MP | Stuart Smith[2] |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.96 km2 (10.80 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2025)[5] | |
• Total | 170 |
| • Density | 6.1/km2 (16/sq mi) |
The area may have been named for the Rangitāne chief, Rai kau moana.[9]
The locality supports dairy farming in the area,[10] with a dairy and cheese factory established in about 1909.[11]
History
editThe Valley was one of the last areas explored by Europeans in northern Marlborough. John Tinline discovered it while looking for a route to Nelson in January 1850.[12]
The Rai Valley was densely forested in the 19th century. A township grew up at Carluke, just to the west of Rai Valley locality, around a sawmill built by William Brownlee in 1907. About 100 people worked at the mill, and a light railway connected it to a port on the Pelorus River.[13][14]
Returned servicemen took up many local farms in 1919.[15]
Demographics
editRai Valley is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 27.96 km2 (10.80 sq mi)[4] and had an estimated population of 170 as of June 2025,[5] with a population density of 6.1 people per km2. It is part of the larger Marlborough Sounds West statistical area.[16]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 141 | — |
| 2013 | 147 | +0.60% |
| 2018 | 177 | +3.78% |
| 2023 | 171 | −0.69% |
| Source: [17][18] | ||
Rai Valley had a population of 171 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 6 people (−3.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 24 people (16.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 87 males, 84 females, and 3 people of other genders in 63 dwellings.[19] 3.5% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 39.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 39 people (22.8%) aged under 15 years, 27 (15.8%) aged 15 to 29, 78 (45.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 27 (15.8%) aged 65 or older.[17]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 96.5% European (Pākehā), 10.5% Māori, and 3.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 100.0%, Māori by 1.8%, and other languages by 7.0%. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.[17]
Religious affiliations were 15.8% Christian. People who answered that they had no religion were 71.9%, and 12.3% of people did not answer the census question.[17]
Of those at least 15 years old, 12 (9.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 84 (63.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 39 (29.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $36,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 3 people (2.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 69 (52.3%) full-time, 21 (15.9%) part-time, and 3 (2.3%) unemployed.[17]
Education
editRai Valley Area School is a coeducational composite (years 1–13) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 94.[20]
There were many schools in the area in the early 20th century:
- Ronga School opened in 1913, was destroyed by fire in 1918 and rebuilt in 1920.[21]: 29, 69
- Opouri Valley School, 1911-1921[21]: 43
- Upper Opouri School 1928-1938[21]: 41
- Carluke School opened in 1907 as Rimu Gully School, and became Carluke School from 1908 to 1938[21]: 2, 23, 26
- Rai Valley School was open by 1901. It was sometimes called Flat Creek School.[21]: 24, 65
- Billy Goat School, late 1920s to c. 1938[21]: 1
- Kaiuma Flat Creek School, 1919 to c. 1927[21]: 24–26
- Tinline Valley School, 1923-1949[21]: 32
- Tunakino School, 1920-1933[21]: 36–38
Ronga, Opouri and Carluke schools were merged into Rai Valley School in 1939. Rai Valley became an area school in 1978.[22]
Climate
edit| Climate data for Rai Valley (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1962–1987) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
30.0 (86.0) |
25.7 (78.3) |
21.8 (71.2) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.6 (67.3) |
18.8 (65.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
25.3 (77.5) |
27.6 (81.7) |
28.7 (83.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.5 (72.5) |
23.2 (73.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
18.2 (64.8) |
15.6 (60.1) |
12.7 (54.9) |
12.4 (54.3) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.6 (60.1) |
17.1 (62.8) |
18.8 (65.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
17.7 (63.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) |
16.8 (62.2) |
15.6 (60.1) |
12.5 (54.5) |
10.1 (50.2) |
7.6 (45.7) |
6.8 (44.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
10.2 (50.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
13.4 (56.1) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
9.9 (49.8) |
6.8 (44.2) |
4.6 (40.3) |
2.5 (36.5) |
1.2 (34.2) |
2.4 (36.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.6 (51.1) |
6.6 (43.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) |
0.7 (33.3) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 140.8 (5.54) |
113.7 (4.48) |
152.1 (5.99) |
197.5 (7.78) |
193.8 (7.63) |
171.3 (6.74) |
176.5 (6.95) |
162.4 (6.39) |
141.0 (5.55) |
223.4 (8.80) |
164.2 (6.46) |
180.6 (7.11) |
2,017.3 (79.42) |
| Source: NIWA (rain 1971–2000)[23] | |||||||||||||
Notes
edit- ↑ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
- ↑ "Kaikōura - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Te Tai Tonga – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- 1 2 "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Urban Rural 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Subnational population estimates - Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ Peter Dowling, ed. (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 59. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.
- ↑ Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. pp. map 131. ISBN 1-877333-20-4.
- ↑ "Age and sex by ethnic group (grouped total response), for census usually resident population counts, 2006, 2013, and 2018 Censuses (urban rural areas)". nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ↑ Marlborough Historical Society (2005). Click – A Captured Moment – Marlborough's Early Heritage. Blenheim: Marlborough Historical Society. p. 64. ISBN 0-473-10475-X.
- ↑ "Marlborough Region – Landscape Pattern". Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).
- ↑ Marlborough Historical Society, pp 84–85
- ↑ McIntosh 1940, pp. 116–117.
- ↑ McIntosh 1940, pp. 94, 204.
- ↑ "Brownlee & Co. Sawmilling Industry". Bits & Pieces (1). September 1993. Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
- ↑ McIntosh 1940, p. 159.
- ↑ "Geographic Boundary Viewer". Stats NZ. Urban Rural Areas – 2023 and Statistical Area 2 – 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Rai Valley (2027). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ↑ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7023221.
- ↑ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ↑ "Rai Valley Area School - Education Counts". www.educationcounts.govt.nz.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Rai Valley-Flat Creek" (PDF). Wairarapa School History. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "Rai Valley". The Prow. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Rai Valley". NIWA. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
References
edit- McIntosh, Alister; Redman, William Edward; Allen, William Raymond, eds. (1940). Marlborough: A Provincial History. Blenheim: Marlborough Provincial Historical Committee.
External links
edit
