Peel Forest Park

The tussock-covered foothills of the Southern Alps, where they rise up from the Canterbury Plains, were once clothed with dense forest. But since man arrived in Aotearoa, almost all of this lowland podocarp forest has been cleared.

A precious remnant remains: Peel Forest Park. The 773-hectare forest lies on the south bank of the Rangitata River, about 30 minutes’ drive north of Geraldine. The turn-off to Peel Forest and the Rangitata Gorge is clearly marked along State Highway 72, the Inland Scenic Route that connects Rangiora, north of Christchurch to Winchester, just north of Temuka.

This route can also be accessed by a number of signposted side roads from State Highway 1. The forest is now a protected area, cared for by the Department of Conservation, and features many walks, from gentle strolls through the trees to a challenging climb to the top of Little Mount Peel, which forms the backdrop to the park. There are magnificent kahikatea, totara and matai trees in the forest. Examples of more than a third of all New Zealand’s fern species are also found here. And native birdlife abounds, from bellbirds and wood pigeons to fantails and silver-eyes. Peel Forest and the breathtaking Upper Rangitata Gorge, which can be reached by following the road west through the Peel Forest village, are famed not only for their natural beauty: this is an area steeped in Canterbury pioneering history.

The Peel Forest Store acts as a visitor centre, camper's booking office, post office, petrol station, takeaway and tea rooms.

Mt Peel Station, situated just beyond the Peel Forest Park and its picnic areas and camping ground, was established in 1856 by John Acland and Charles Tripp. The historic Acland homestead is still lived in by the Acland family. You may catch glimpses of it through the beautiful, English-style park that surrounds it.

The house is not accessible to the public but adjacent to it is the picturesque Church of the Holy Innocents, which is open to visitors. This small church, consecrated in 1869, was built from greywacke from the nearby river and limestone from Mt Somers to the north. It was named in memory of four young children who died in the area between 1864 and 1869. Every New Year’s Eve a member of the Acland family rings the church bell to mark the arrival of the New Year. Beyond the homestead, the road winds through the Rangitata Gorge, a stretch of river famed for its whitewater rafting, and into the Upper Rangitata Gorge. Fans of Lord of the Rings may recognise this valley; it provided the spectacular setting for the kingdom of Edoras. The hill on which the film-set was built is on the north side of the valley, on Mt Potts Station.

The road ends at Mesopotamia Station, established by the English writer, Samuel Butler, who bought 2000 hectares of land here in 1859. He lived on his new property for about three years, before returning to England, where his wealth of pioneering experiences and insights provided valuable material for his subsequent writings. These included the novel, “Erewhon”. The book’s title was later adopted as the name of another sheep station on the northern banks of the Rangitata.

Follow the road through the Mesopotamia Station grounds and up through the trees on the left. There you’ll find the former Mesopotamia School, where generations of Rangitata Valley children began their formal education. It’s open to visitors and has displays that provide a fascinating insight into schooling in one of New Zealand’s most isolated settings.

On the Road to Peel Forest by William Gibb