Located in the centre of Central Otago, Alexandra is a beautiful tourist and business destination. The visitors are presented with so many recreational opportunities such as exploring the hills, fishing from Clutha River, boat riding and swimming. It experiences unique weather conditions where the climate is dynamic. Alexandra is also known for the longest running community festival called the Alexandra Blossom Festival. Besides, the town has a reputation for producing the best wines in New Zealand. The residents own the finest vineyards and wine-producing estates. This was not always the case as the town once had a golden history when gold was discovered in the 1880s. The mining of Gold served the community up to 1930 when the mines were exhausted. It was after this season that Alexandra discovered a new opportunity in Viticulture and wine making.
The wine produced in Alexandra is supplied all over New Zealand and exported to other countries via shipping containers. Therefore, there are a lot of ISO standards that are followed to the letter to ensure proper and smooth transportation. The tank shipping containers must be made of 304 and 316 which make the cleaning and polishing of the tank very easy. The Air inlet valve at the top of the tank container is used for loading. This inlet valve acts as a pressure and recovery device during the loading of material into the ISO tank. The complete three closure system ensures that there are no leakages in the tank during transportation. This is done by a process called pressure testing which involves confirming that all the valves are operational. The temperature of the wine during transportation is very necessary therefore there is a temperature gauge to monitor the readings.
Alexandra also produces a large number of fruit berries which are used for different purposes in the region. However, some farmers have made the production of these berries commercial and are therefore shipping them to nearby areas. The shipping containers are usually refrigerated to keep the berries fresh. The grapes being produced are also supplied to nearby areas at the required temperature.
Apart from the transportation of grapes and fruit berries, shipping containers in Alexandra are used as storage units. These could be for personal, business or commercial purposes. Many people in the area opt to hire or buy shipping containers to store their items so as to create spaces in their homes. Also, there are container traders who provide large scale storage units at the depot. Although it is a secure option, many locals prefer to buy or hire the shipping containers and transport them to their site of choice.
Lastly, Alexandra is not different from the surrounding towns such as Taranaki, where container homes are coming up. Though not very popular in this area, container homes are being used by a significant number of people in Alexandra. They provide a cheaper housing scheme as compared to traditional housing plans. Besides the affordability, container homes present a platform for indulging creative home designs without using a lot of resources.
