Brooksdale Station runs from the foot of the Torlesse Range up to Porters Pass. A fair chunk of the higher parts of the station have been gifted back to conservation and now form part of the Korowai Torlesse Conservation Park running accross to Lake Lyndon.
The landscape here is specactular and as you drive up Porters Pass the learned will note the major prominent fault scarp of the Porters Pass fault, which crosses the highway near the summit. This is one of the most studied faults in the area, and a geological fascination. Its also a significant earthquake threat to Canterbury.
Access can be gained by permission to the Kowhai Hut and Mt Torlesse boyond, both interesting tramps. For those who love an epic, a traverse of the whole Torlesse Range from Porters Pass over Foggy Peak, Castle Hill Peak, The Gap, Red Peak and Mt Torlesse and down via the Kowahai River is a massive 12-14 hour day.