# Ashley Forest

Ashley Forest is a forest and a statistical area in the Canterbury Region's Hurunui District on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located north of the Ashley River / Rakahuri and northeast of the Okuku River.
The forest was planted from 1939. It is managed by Rayonier Matariki and is only accessible by the public with a permit.
Ashley Forest Village is a small settlement at the southern end of the forest.

## Demographics

The Ashley Forest statistical area covers 340.57 km$^2$ (131.49 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 810 as of June 2024, with a population density of 2.4 people per km$^2$.
Ashley Forest had a population of 669 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 27 people (4.2%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 147 people (28.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 234 households, comprising 348 males and 324 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female. The median age was 44.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 138 people (20.6%) aged under 15 years, 105 (15.7%) aged 15 to 29, 327 (48.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 102 (15.2%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 97.3% European/Pākehā, 7.6% Māori, 0.4% Pasifika, 1.3% Asian, and 0.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 13.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.6% had no religion, 37.7% were Christian, 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.3% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 114 (21.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 75 (14.1%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $36,400, compared with $31,800 nationally. 105 people (19.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 297 (55.9%) people were employed full-time, 96 (18.1%) were part-time, and 21 (4.0%) were unemployed.

## Climate

Climate data for Ashley Forest (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–1989) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) | 39.8 (103.6) | 33.9 (93.0) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 20.9 (69.6) | 22.2 (72.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.7 (89.1) | 39.8 (103.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.3 (70.3) | 19.9 (67.8) | 17.3 (63.1) | 14.0 (57.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 10.9 (51.6) | 12.0 (53.6) | 14.5 (58.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 17.9 (64.2) | 20.1 (68.2) | 16.5 (61.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) | 16.3 (61.3) | 14.7 (58.5) | 12.4 (54.3) | 9.7 (49.5) | 7.5 (45.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 7.6 (45.7) | 9.6 (49.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 12.9 (55.2) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.7 (53.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.5 (52.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 9.6 (49.3) | 7.4 (45.3) | 5.4 (41.7) | 3.3 (37.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 3.3 (37.9) | 4.7 (40.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 8.0 (46.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.0 (44.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) | 3.0 (37.4) | 0.6 (33.1) | 0.0 (32.0) | −2.2 (28.0) | −5.6 (21.9) | −6.4 (20.5) | −3.4 (25.9) | −4.0 (24.8) | −1.1 (30.0) | −2.0 (28.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | −6.4 (20.5) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 57.3 (2.26) | 57.6 (2.27) | 84.3 (3.32) | 70.4 (2.77) | 59.1 (2.33) | 62.7 (2.47) | 78.2 (3.08) | 69.9 (2.75) | 64.8 (2.55) | 84.1 (3.31) | 50.7 (2.00) | 65.3 (2.57) | 804.4 (31.68) |
| Source: NIWA ||||||||||||||