The Amuri Plain (also known as the Amuri Basin) is the northernmost extension of New Zealand's

Canterbury Plains The Canterbury Plains () are an area in New Zealand centred in the Mid Canterbury, to the south of the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region. Their northern extremes are at the foot of the Hundalee Hills in the Hurunui District, and in t ...

. It lies between the Waiau Uwha and

Hurunui River The Hurunui River is the fourth largest of the four principal rivers in north Canterbury, New Zealand, with a catchment area of . The river flows from the eastern side of the Southern Alps, to the Pacific Ocean. Geography The head of the Hurunu ...

s and is centred on the town of

Culverden Culverden is a small town in the northern Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It lies at the centre of the Amuri Plain. Culverden has traditionally been surrounded by sheep farms. Dairy farms have now become more common as a result ...

. Other population centres on the plain include

Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...

. The plains cover approximately . The southernmost part of the plain, close to the Hurunui River, is heavily planted in exotic trees (the Balmoral Forest); further north the land is pastoral, and is largely used for sheep and dairy farming. Farming was greatly assisted by the construction of a major irrigation scheme which began in 1977. This also led to growth in the population of the service town of Culverden.Wilson, J.,
Canterbury places: Amuri district
," ''

Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand ''Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand'' is an online encyclopedia established in 2001 by the New Zealand Government's Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The web-based content was developed in stages over the next several years; the first s ...

'', 17 August 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2022.

References

Plains of New Zealand Landforms of Canterbury, New Zealand {{CanterburyNZ-geo-stub