Springs Junction is a small settlement and road junction in the

West Coast region The West Coast ( mi, Te Tai Poutini, lit=The Coast of Poutini, the Taniwha) is a region of New Zealand on the west coast of the South Island that is administered by the West Coast Regional Council, and is known co-officially as Te Tai Poutini ...

of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of and State Highway 65 (the Shenandoah Highway), east of

Reefton Reefton is a small town in the West Coast region of New Zealand, some 80 km northeast of Greymouth, in the Inangahua River valley. Ahaura is 44 km south-west of Reefton, Inangahua Junction is 34 km to the north, Maruia is 63&nb ...

, on the main route between

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

and the

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

, Tasman and Buller districts. Springs_Junction_Petrol_Station

Geography

Springs Junction lies on the

Alpine Fault The Alpine Fault is a geological fault that runs almost the entire length of New Zealand's South Island (c. 480 km) and forms the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. The Southern Alps have been uplifted on the f ...

. At Springs Junction is a site where

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althoug ...

s have dug trenches to study past earthquakes along the Alpine Fault. 16 km to the east is the thermal resort of Maruia Springs. 6.5 km to the east is the

DOC DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

Marble Hill campsite Springs Junction saw a major increase in traffic flow after the

2016 Kaikoura earthquake Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * ''Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film d ...

. This earthquake closed the main

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...

route and Springs Junction was on the alternative route from Picton to Christchurch. The

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, or the New Zealand Transport Agency, (always abbreviated as NZTA), superseded by is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licens ...

expected the volume of traffic to quadruple while the State Highway 1 route underwent months of repairs. Springs_Junction_Panorama

Amenities

The settlement includes two petrol stations (GAS and NPD), a café (closed as of March 2023), 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 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 resul ...

, 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.

Notable people

Daniel White (born 1992), author of ''Halfstone: A Tale of the Narathlands''

References

{{Buller District Road junctions in New Zealand Buller District Populated places in the West Coast, New Zealand