Rai Valley

The Valley was one of the last areas explored by Europeans in northern Marlborough. John Tinline discovered it while looking for a route to Nelson in January 1850.{{sfn|McIntosh|1940|pages=116–117}}

The Rai Valley was densely forested in the 19th century. A township grew up at Carluke, just to the west of Rai Valley locality, around a sawmill built by William Brownlee in 1907. About 100 people worked at the mill, and a light railway connected it to a port on the Pelorus River.{{sfn|McIntosh|1940|pages=94, 204}}{{cite journal|url= http://www.peloruspeople.org.nz/havelockmuseum/index.mvc?ArticleID=2 |title=Brownlee & Co. Sawmilling Industry|journal=Bits & Pieces|issue=1|date=September 1993}}

Returned servicemen took up many local farms in 1919.{{sfn|McIntosh|1940|page=159}}

Rai Valley is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers {{Convert|27.96|km2||abbr=on}}{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Web Application|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f49867abe464f86ac7526552fe19787|access-date=20 May 2024|website=statsnz.maps.arcgis.com}} and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2018|Rai Valley|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2018|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2018|Rai Valley|y}}|R}}/27.96|0}} people per km². It is part of the larger Marlborough Sounds West statistical area.{{NZ census place summary 2018 |marlborough-sounds-west|Marlborough Sounds West}}

{{Historical populations|2006|141|2013|147|2018|177|percentages=pagr|align=left|source=}}

Rai Valley had a population of 177 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 30 people (20.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 36 people (25.5%) since the 2006 census. There were 81 households, comprising 84 males and 96 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.88 males per female. The median age was 40.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 45 people (25.4%) aged under 15 years, 21 (11.9%) aged 15 to 29, 75 (42.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 33 (18.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 93.2% European/Pākehā, 20.3% Māori, 3.4% Pasifika, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 67.8% had no religion, 20.3% were Christian and 1.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 12 (9.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 42 (31.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $28,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 15 people (11.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 60 (45.5%) people were employed full-time, 21 (15.9%) were part-time, and 3 (2.3%) were unemployed.{{NZ census 2018|7023221}}

Rai Valley Area School is a coeducational composite (years 1–13) school with a decile rating of 6 and a roll of 94.{{cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=291|title=Te Kete Ipurangi – Rai Valley Area School|publisher=Ministry of Education|access-date=19 May 2008|archive-date=17 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017195401/http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=291|url-status=dead}}

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|collapsed = Y

|location = Rai Valley (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1962–1987)

| Jan record high C = 31.5

| Feb record high C = 33.6

| Mar record high C = 30.0

| Apr record high C = 25.7

| May record high C = 21.8

| Jun record high C = 19.2

| Jul record high C = 19.6

| Aug record high C = 18.8

| Sep record high C = 24.0

| Oct record high C = 25.3

| Nov record high C = 27.6

| Dec record high C = 28.7

| year record high C =

|Jan record low C = 1.3

|Feb record low C = 0.7

|Mar record low C = -3.0

|Apr record low C = -4.1

|May record low C = -6.9

|Jun record low C = -7.6

|Jul record low C = -7.8

|Aug record low C = -6.6

|Sep record low C = -5.2

|Oct record low C = -4.4

|Nov record low C = -2.0

|Dec record low C = -0.7

|year record low C =

|Jan high C = 22.5

|Feb high C = 23.2

|Mar high C = 21.2

|Apr high C = 18.2

|May high C = 15.6

|Jun high C = 12.7

|Jul high C = 12.4

|Aug high C = 13.8

|Sep high C = 15.6

|Oct high C = 17.1

|Nov high C = 18.8

|Dec high C = 20.7

| year high C =

|Jan mean C = 16.7

|Feb mean C = 16.8

|Mar mean C = 15.6

|Apr mean C = 12.5

|May mean C = 10.1

|Jun mean C = 7.6

|Jul mean C = 6.8

|Aug mean C = 8.1

|Sep mean C = 10.2

|Oct mean C = 12.0

|Nov mean C = 13.4

|Dec mean C = 15.7

| year mean C =

|Jan low C = 10.9

|Feb low C = 10.4

|Mar low C = 9.9

|Apr low C = 6.8

|May low C = 4.6

|Jun low C = 2.5

|Jul low C = 1.2

|Aug low C = 2.4

|Sep low C = 4.8

|Oct low C = 6.8

|Nov low C = 8.0

|Dec low C = 10.6

| year low C =

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 140.8

|Feb rain mm = 113.7

|Mar rain mm = 152.1

|Apr rain mm = 197.5

|May rain mm = 193.8

|Jun rain mm = 171.3

|Jul rain mm = 176.5

|Aug rain mm = 162.4

|Sep rain mm = 141.0

|Oct rain mm = 223.4

|Nov rain mm = 164.2

|Dec rain mm = 180.6

|year rain mm =

|source 1 = NIWA (rain 1971–2000)

{{cite web

|url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz

|title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Rai Valley

|publisher = NIWA

|access-date = 15 Oct 2024}}

}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |ref={{sfnRef|McIntosh|1940}} |title=Marlborough: A Provincial History |editor1-first=Alister |editor1-last=McIntosh |editor1-link=Alister McIntosh |editor2-first=William Edward |editor2-last=Redman |editor3-first=William Raymond |editor3-last=Allen |publisher=Marlborough Provincial Historical Committee |location=Blenheim |year=1940}}

{{Wikivoyage|Rai Valley}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.rai.school.nz Rai Valley Area School website]

{{Marlborough Region}}

Category:Populated places in the Marlborough District