Summer with the Mayors: Neil Brown

Ashburton is a farming district not too far south of Christchurch, known for its fly fishing and scenic landscape.

The district boats lots of small shops, galleries, and museums to explore in the town.

As a claim to fame, there are also the Ashburton Lakes to explore, some of which were filming locations for Lord of the Rings.

Ashburton District Mayor Neil Brown joins the show. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk ZEDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
What's happening in your neck of the woods Summer with
the Mares.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
It's sixteen past six, traveling to the South Island and
now for our next stop on Summer with the Mares.
Not too far south of Christchurch. Ashburton is a farming
district known for its fly fishing and scenic landscape. Lots
of small shops, galleries museums to explore in town. Is
also the Ashburton Lakes to explore, including some of the
filming locations from Lord of the Rings. Ashburton District metor

(00:45):
and Neil Brown joins me. Now, good morning, how are
you good? Good? So what's happening in the Ashburton district
this summer.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh, there's lots of things to do in Eshburton this summer.
The name a few. We've got lake here which we
explore in his swimming, the boating. We've even just put
a new diving platform in there recently, in kuaking, pedal boarding.
There's other things we can do as hi core bike
in the Eshburton Lakes area. It's up the back of

(01:15):
the Eshburton district, which is hilly and a bit of
stunning alpine landscapes. Up there. We can cycle the Inland
Scenic Route seventy two breadth and you're taking breathtaking views
of the Southern Alps and rolling countryside on that iconic route.
We have the Rakaia Gorge. You can visit the Rakai

(01:37):
Gorge where the mighty Rakaia River flows through and there's
jet boating, mere fishing, lots of walking tracks there through
the Ricai Gorge and if you're an Espuran itself, you
could picnic in the Ashburton domains four hectares of land
there which is planted out a difficulcently with lots of plants,
nice call and refreshing, refreshing, And you can go back

(02:01):
up the Methane Way and there's a walkway there. It
wanders through scenic farm land, rivers, brush areas and if
you wanted to have some lunch you could do so
at the Blue Pub. And also up there's hot pools
which had just recently been installed a couple of years ago,
Pookie thermal pools in Spa. Some of it's adults only

(02:22):
swim up bar you can bring the kids and then
practice and the bombs and the discovery pools.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
What's what what is your you know, what's your go
to spot around your your region?

Speaker 3 (02:34):
Well, Lad's always good. I'd like to get out there
on the boat and then drive around there. A bit
of water skiing, jet skiing, kend a bit of fishing
there too, or just general swimming in a big lake.
It's very safe and yeah, it's probably a go to
for me. Or even jet boating in the Rakaia River
also like taking the boat out there and the many

(02:55):
braids and it's a it's a really good fun thing
to do.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Actually, that sounds kind of awesome. That would require a
certain level of skill, I'm guessing doing the jet boating
on the.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Rocr especially if you're driving yourself with your own boat. Yeah,
it does take a little bit of skill. But there's
also tours you can take where you just sit and
relax and others or driving.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
What do you have particular events that go on in
the Ashburton district over the summer that sort of bring
visitors in it or is it just sort of like
come to Ashburton because we're awesome.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
Well, you can come because it's awesome, but we do
have an event and the Council's put together What's on
guide and as we booklet which if they turned up
at Eshburt and at a gallery, museum or the council
library quite ac center, there's these books there. But if
you wanted to not plan in your holiday coming in,

(03:49):
you could visit the Eshburton District Council's website which is
Eshburton DC dot govt dot nz and here there's lots
of things to do there around the district and most
of them are actually free.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
So what do you get up to personally over the
busy season. Do you sort of just take it easy
or you just as you mentioned, get out to lake
and go blatting around in your boat.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, I'll probably get away for a bit of a
break and I like to go away and enjoy other
councils facilities that they have. This year, I'm going to
head up and probably to the Mold of Sounds and
have it. We would have looked up there for four
or five or five days or with my wife and family,
so it'll be good to get away and just see
what others have got and learn some new ideas and

(04:33):
perhaps bring them back to Eshburtain, what are the what are.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
The challenges that you've got this looking on the business
side of things as mayor what are the things you're
looking forward to or maybe even dreading. I don't know,
what are the challenges you've got lined up for twenty
twenty five.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
One of the biggest challenges we've had over the time
is the Esburuton Bridge and everyone's heard about the Eshburton Bridge,
so we've been working closely with government to how we
can progress the building of that bridge and hopefully we'll
have worked out a path forward and get that bridge
underway and built as soon as we can.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
How's business going on ash Burton.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
Yeah, it's over the past week while of the year
it's been that we were quiet, like other parts of
New Zealand have head but esh Britain's a large dairying
area and with the good Fonterier milk payots that have
been coming through, it's certainly adding a lot of vibrancy
to us. Right at the moment we're seeing that, which
is a really good thing.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Hey, well, all the best for all the best for
summer Neil and you know, have a great break and
look forward to talking to you again sometime.

Speaker 3 (05:37):
Greatly in the same view and all the listeners for.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
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