Merton

Living in Merton

Merton is a small North Otago farming locality in the Kakanui River valley, where the river runs through the improved pastoral downs between Oamaru and the coast. The valley is one of North Otago's quieter agricultural corridors, connecting the coastal farming district to the rolling downs above without the main highway traffic that the SH1 corridor carries, and the community around Merton reflects the farming and rural residential character of the North Otago interior.

The Kakanui River is a productive trout fishery in this section, with the brown trout that the North Otago rivers support providing the recreational fishing that brings the Oamaru-based anglers into the valley. The river's lower reaches approach the coastal settlement of Kakanui at the sea, and the valley road connecting the two is the local route that the farming families use rather than the highway.

The permanent population is the farming families on the valley properties, with Oamaru providing the full service centre around 20 to 30 minutes north. The North Otago farming landscape here has the productive, well-established character of country that the irrigation and improvement programmes of the last century have optimised.

Children from Merton attend North Otago schools, with secondary education in Oamaru.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Merton

Schools in zone for Merton

Children living in Merton have a guaranteed right to enrol at these schools, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

• Dunedin Rudolf Steiner School

  Full Primary · roll 77 · decile 9

• St Hildas Collegiate

  Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 463 · decile 10

• Columba College

  Composite · roll 609

• John McGlashan College

  Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 527

• Liberton Christian School

  Full Primary · roll 133 · decile 7

• Trinity Catholic College

  Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 872

Check your school zone

Merton Weather

Current conditions: 9.1°C, overcast clouds

Merton Community