Seaward Downs

Living in Seaward Downs

Seaward Downs is a Southland locality in the farming country south of Gore, where the hill country above the Mataura Valley opens toward the coastal lowlands and the broad Southland plain extends toward the sea. The name describes the landscape accurately: the downs country that faces seaward, in the direction of the Toetoes coast and the Catlins' southern edges.

The farming in the Seaward Downs area is the South Otago to Southland transition zone's model: sheep and cattle on the rolling hill country, with the more intensive dairy operations on the accessible flats below. The landscape here has the rounded pastoral character of the South Otago and eastern Southland hills, with the native bush remnants in the gullies providing the green contrast to the improved pasture on the faces.

The permanent population is the farming families on the surrounding properties, with Gore providing the services for the area's northern community and the Southland plain centres serving the southern ones. The school run to Gore covers the educational requirements for the locality's children.

Seaward Downs is the hill country looking south toward the sea, farming the faces that face the weather coming in off the Pacific with the resilience that coastal hill farming requires.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Seaward Downs

Schools in zone for Seaward Downs

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

• Edendale School (Southland)

  Contributing · roll 110 · decile 8

• Verdon College

  Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 716 · decile 6

• Southland Adventist Christian School

  Full Primary · roll 123 · decile 4

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