Gibbston | |
|---|---|
Community | |
 One of the area's vineyards | |
 | |
| Coordinates:45°01′32″S168°57′24″E / 45.02569°S 168.95674°E /-45.02569; 168.95674 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Otago |
| Territorial authority | Queenstown-Lakes District |
| Ward | Queenstown-Wakatipu Ward |
| Electorates |
|
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Queenstown-Lakes District Council |
| • Regional council | Otago Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Queenstown-Lakes | Glyn Lewers |
| • Southland MP | Joseph Mooney |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Localiwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Gibbston is a community in theWakatipu Basin in theOtago region of theSouth Island, New Zealand. Through the valley runs theKawarau River which forms theKawarau Gorge.
The most visible aspect of the area are the vineyards and wineries next toSH 6 which form part of theCentral Otago wine region. The Gibbston region is the coolest and highest of the Central Otago regions with the majority of land gently sloping to the north. This northerly aspect greatly assists vineyards to grow grapes because of increased sunlight and with a reduced possibility of frost, although this still poses a significant threat.
It was voted community of the year in 2011 due to the work on theGibbston River Trail.[1]
TheGibbston River Trail and theGibbston Highway Trail are walking/running and cycling trails that give good access to the wineries in the area but also connect toThe Queenstown Trail at theKawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge.
Often Gibbston is incorrectly calledGibbston Valley orGibbston Flats due to the land being the only flat usable land in the Kawarau Gorge.[2]
Gibbston is part of the Outer Wakatipu statistical area, which covers 1,862.92 km2 (719.28 sq mi)[3] and surrounds but does not includeQueenstown andArrowtown. It had an estimated population of 540 as of June 2024,[4] with a population density of 0.29 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 537 | — |
| 2013 | 657 | +2.92% |
| 2018 | 822 | +4.58% |
| Source:[5] | ||
Before the 2023 census, Outer Wakatipu had a larger boundary, covering 1,880.06 km2 (725.90 sq mi).[3] Using that boundary, Outer Wakatipu had a population of 822 at the2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 165 people (25.1%) since the2013 census, and an increase of 285 people (53.1%) since the2006 census. There were 282 households, comprising 420 males and 405 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.04 males per female. The median age was 42.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 144 people (17.5%) aged under 15 years, 96 (11.7%) aged 15 to 29, 513 (62.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 69 (8.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 93.4% European/Pākehā, 6.2%Māori, 0.7%Pasifika, 2.6%Asian, and 3.6% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 31.4, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 66.1% had no religion, 25.9% wereChristian, 0.4% wereHindu, 0.4% wereBuddhist and 1.8% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 225 (33.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 60 (8.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $51,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 201 people (29.6%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 432 (63.7%) people were employed full-time, 126 (18.6%) were part-time, and 3 (0.4%) were unemployed.[5]
Grape varieties grown in the area include:Chardonnay,Pinot Gris,Riesling,Sauvignon Blanc andPinot Noir.[6] Lesser known (and grown in smaller quantities) are the varieties ofGamay,Gewürztraminer,Pinot Blanc andPinot Meunier.
The Kawarau Gibbston Dark Sky Park is adark-sky preserve located betweenCromwell andQueenstown, and centred on Gibbston. The park was accredited byDarkSky International in May 2024, following an application by the Gibbston Community Association. It covers an area of 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi) along a section of theKawarau River.[7]